No Place that Far
by Movaca
Summary: Futuristic...Molly is a hot shot lawyer in Manhattan and is summoned to come back home to Port Charles. Chapter 9 is fixed It really is this time , please go back and read the whole thing. It will make more sense, I promise.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

"So we'd be hearing about the progress, and Over-the-counter Switch Applications involve a lot of considerations that may not necessarily be something that our prescription drug activities normally entail, so there's new material, new kinds of reviews that come into play."

Molly spun around in her oversized chair, "Please Bryan, I have read that deposition a hundred times. I don't need you to read it to me."

"So what are we missing, Molly?" Bryan asked laying the deposition file on her desk. Molly got up and looked out her window. She had a corner office and gorgeous view of the New York harbor. She recently made partner at Crepps & Regal and now Davis.

"Maybe we're not missing anything? Maybe we need to go back to the FDA. Go over their procedures…"

"Excuse me, Ms. Davis?" Molly's secretary knocked ever so gently before entering without permission.

"Janet, can't you see that we are in the middle of…"

"I am sorry, Ms. Davis, but you have a call on line one. She said it was important…"

"I'm not taking any calls, Janet, I told you that…"

"I know Ms. Davis, but it's your sister and she said it's important that I interrupt you. As a matter of fact she said and I quote 'put my sister on the phone or I'm coming to New York and dragging her butt back home, myself.'"

Molly couldn't help but to let out a chuckle. "Your sister is a little bossy, don't you think?" Bryan commented.

"Yeah, well, she takes after my Mother." Molly picked up the phone and pushed the blinking line. "This better be good, Samantha."

"I don't care what you are in the middle of or what you are doing. You need to come back to Port Charles and stop with the 'Samantha' crap. You are not Mom." Molly absolutely loved her older sister. There isn't anything that she would not do for her. Sam could ask her for anything and Molly would provide. "You know Sam, the proudest day of Mom's life is when you let her change your name…"

Flashback 

_Sam carried a tray of tea and teacups from the kitchen. Kristina and Molly were playing a board game on the floor in front of the fireplace. The snow was steadily falling outside._

"_Mom, can I asked you a question?" Sam asked sitting down next to Alexis._

"_You just did, dear…" Sam gave her Mother a smirk._

"_I'm serious…"_

"_Sure Sam, asked me anything you want…" Alexis closed the folder that she was fingering through and looked into Sam's big brown eyes._

"_I know where both Molly and Kristina got their names…but what about me? What would you have named me?" Molly's ears perked up when she heard Sam's question, from such an early age she was interested in her family's history._

"_I did name you Sam…I just had no idea…"_

"_What do you mean? You had no idea about what?"_

"_When you were born and I asked to hold you, I had called you Samantha. That was the name that I had picked. I never bothered to think about a boys name, I knew that you were going to be a girl. I had no idea that the nurse had passed that name along to the McCalls or that the McCalls didn't change it."_

"_I guess that's why my middle name is Evelyn," Sam mumbled more to herself. _

"_Now that…that is a name that I hate. I hate that you are stuck with that woman's name. That woman never made one good decision when it came to you and now you have to live…"_

"_Whoa, whoa, whoa, calm down Mom." Alexis stopped rambling and glared at Sam. "What would you have made my middle name?"_

"_Either Kristin or Alexandra…" Alexis blurted out. She didn't even need to think about the answer to that question. "Kristin after your grandmother or Alexandra after me."_

"_You've thought about that a lot haven't you?" Alexis nodded. _

"_Since the day I found out that I was pregnant."_

"_Well then, change it." Sam blurted out._

"_What?"_

"_You heard me. Change my name. If it bothers you that my name is Samantha Evelyn, then change it. You're my mother. You are the only person who gets to name me. You got the job half done so finish it."_

"_Sam, are you serious?"_

"_Yes, Mom. I'm dead serious. Change my birth certificate and everything. You're a lawyer, I'm sure that you know how to take care of that little incidental thing."_

"_Your name, Sam, is your identity. I can't just go and change it…"_

"_Mom, do you like my name..." Sam interrupted. _

"_No. No I don't like your middle name or you last name for that matter."_

"_Then change it. What is going to be? Name your first born daughter, then go fill out the paper work to make it official."_

_A smile widened across Alexis' face. She couldn't believe the conversation that she was having with Sam or the suggestion that Sam was offering. "Samantha Kristin Davis…" A stray tear ran down Alexis' cheek. "I can't believe that you are seriously letting me do this."_

_Sam pulled Alexis into a hug unable to hold back the tears. "You're my mother. The least you can do is give me the proper name."_

_Alexis kissed Sam's cheek. "Samantha Kristin Davis, I love you. Do you know that?"_

_Two weeks later, Sam entered the lakehouse carrying the mail. "Mom," she called. "You've got mail." Laying the junk mail down on the table, she carried the most important letter into Alexis' office. "You have mail, Mom." _

_Alexis took the letter from Sam's hand and quickly opened it. "This is it, are you sure?"_

_Sam smiled and nodded, "Yeah, I'm sure…"_

_Alexis opened it up and read it aloud. "Samantha Kristin Davis, Birthdate 05-11-1980, Birth Mother Alexis Davis. My Samantha."_

"Molly…are you still there? Molly?" She heard her sister's voice on the other end of the line; the voice that brought her back to the present.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm here Sam. I'll book a flight tonight. I'll see you soon. I love you."

"I love you too, Mol."

Molly hung up the phone and looked up to Bryan who was staring at her. "Bryan, you're going to have to handle this case. My sister needs me at home for a little while."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"Hey babe, whatcha doing?" Molly's boyfriend, entered into the office that she established in her plush Manhattan apartment. Ty was decked out in his favorite pair of sweats and a T-shirt with a diet soda in his hand. He was epitome of tall, dark, and handsome and he had the deepest blue eyes that would just make your heart melt.

Molly sat back in her chair and began to chew on the tip of her pen. She threw the pen down on her desk and rubbed her eyes before turning to the man that had just perched himself on the edge of her desk. "I'm trying to book a reasonable flight to Port Charles."

Ty took a sip of the diet soda that he was holding. "For when?"

"I want to leave tomorrow."

"Why the sudden urge to go to Port Charles? I thought you were working on a big case?"

"My sister called me at work today. She asked me to come home for a couple of weeks."

"Molly, I asked you last week to go on a long weekend with me and you said no. You had to work on your case. Now all of a sudden your sister calls and you drop everything. What is your sister holding over you that you have to go running every time she calls?

"My sister isn't holding anything over me. I happen to love my family and I admire my sisters. But you wouldn't know anything about that, would you?"

"Oh now, that's just not fair."

"No Ty, what's not fair is you giving me grief over going to see my sister." Molly got up from her desk and began to pace the room; the first of her many frustration traits.

Ty got up from the desk, "Molly, I don't want to begrudge you your family. I just want to know why when I ask you to go away you're too busy but when your sister calls you just pick up and leave."

"Because, Ty, in the end all I will ever have is my Mom and my sisters. And Sam for one has never failed me."

"Oh, I see, so I've failed you." Molly rolled her eyes but she could see that her comment deeply offended him.

"No, Ty… I didn't mean it that way." She moved toward him and wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her head on his shoulder. "My family is about as dysfunctional as they come and whenever something would happen my Mom or Sam would always be there for Tina and Me."

"I have an idea," she said lifting her head from his shoulder "why don't you come with me? You're going to have to meet the family sooner or later."

Ty let out a small laugh "Are you sure about that, I mean, I've heard the messages that your sister has left for you."

"Oh, Sammi?" Molly laughed. "Sammi is more bark than bite. She's just a little protective. But my Mom usually keeps her in check. And Tina just loves everyone."

Ty finally returned her hug and wrap his arms around her. "Are you really sure?"

"Of course, as a matter of fact, how about we drive? And on the way I'll fill you in on my family."

Ty reached over to the picture that was on the desk. It was a picture of Molly and her sisters. "You…" he pointed to Molly on the left. "Tina and Sam?" he questioned moving from left to right.

"No, Sam is in the middle and that's Tina."

"Wow," he gasped "There is no denying that you and Sam are sisters. You practically look like twins."

"Yeah, my Mom always says that if it weren't for the fact that Sam is 24 years older than me, she wouldn't be able to tell us apart in pictures." Molly looked closer at the picture, a smile crept across her face as she looked at Sam and Kristina.

"What are you thinking about?" Ty asked when he observed the looked on her face. He knew that she was somewhere far off.

"I was just thinking about when Mom was teaching Tina to drive…"

Flashback 

"_Okay, Kristina, use your right foot only. Put your foot on the break and start the car." Kristina hesitantly pushed the break pedal to the floor and turned the key. "Okay, now adjust your mirrors." Kristina looked into the rearview mirror, but quickly looked down and starting rooting through her purse._

"_What are you looking for?" Alexis asked wondering why Kristina wasn't doing as she told her to do._

"_I'm looking for my lipstick. My lips need a touch up."_

_Alexis rolled her eyes. "Kristina, since when does adjust your mirrors mean fix your lipstick?"_

"_Mom, we are going out onto the road. I have to look decent. Wouldn't you agree?"_

"_Kristina, I would rather you adjust your mirrors."_

"_Fine…" Kristina reached up and adjusted the rearview mirror and the side mirrors. And still managed to put on her lipstick before she put the car into drive. _

"_Okay, now release the break and gently press the gas." Kristina did as she was told and the car started to glide forward. "Easy, Kristina, we're only in the driveway you don't need to drive like Mario Andretti."_

"_Mom, please…the speedometer hasn't even moved."_

"_Kristina, do you want to learn to drive or not?" Kristina closed her mouth and rolled her eyes knowing that if she continued to speak her driving lesson was going to end before it started. _

"_This isn't too bad…" Kristina said with an overconfidence that did not sit well with Alexis. Kristina reached over to the radio and started punching the buttons. _

"_Kristina…pay attention to the road. Not the radio…" Molly sat in the backseat smirking the entire time. And Kristina knew it because when she adjusted the mirror; she set it right where she could see her younger sister's face. _

"_Kristina, that's a stop sign. You are supposed to stop at those," Alexis yelled._

"_No, Mom…" Molly announced "Didn't you know that the ones outlined in white are optional."_

"_Molly, can it. Kristin, make a right."_

"_A right, Mom that is heading back home."_

"_I know, take me home before you kill me," Alexis groaned._

"_Mom, come on…" Kristina tried to protest but she did as she was told. And returned home. She pulled into the driveway just in time for her mother to start panicking again. _

"_Kristina, Stop!" Kristina slammed on the break causing everyone in the car to jerk forward. _

"_Geez, Kristina, I love Mom and all but I don't want to sit in her lap." Molly griped from the back seat._

"_Shut up, Molly." Kristina retorted. "Mother why did you yell at me to stop?"_

"_Don't you see your sister's car parked by the house?"_

"_Are you kidding me? Sam's car is fifty feet away…" Kristina put the car in park and quickly got out walking angrily toward the house._

"_Kristina, get back here, right this minute…" Alexis got out of the car and chased Kristina through the front door of the lakehouse. _

"_I'm never going to learn to drive with you teaching. The only thing that I will perfect is taking the bus or calling my friends for a ride." Kristina slammed the front door behind her but right in Alexis' face. _

"_Oh no you did not…" Alexis exclaimed bursting through the door. "If you keep up that attitude young lady, you will never get your license."_

"_I can't drive with you in the car, Mother."_

"_Hey, hey, hey, what is all the yelling out here?" Sam asked as she entered the living room from the kitchen. Molly crept in to the living room from behind and enjoyed the show._

"_Mom, can't teach me to drive without yelling at me about every little thing." Kristina explained to her older sister. _

"_You need to be a more attentive driver. You can't fiddle with the radio and pay attention to the road signs and oncoming traffic." Alexis was quickly going into lawyer mode on her middle daughter. _

"_Okay…time out." Sam put her hands up in the official time out sign language. She stepped between the two women. "Tina, you need to be more patient with Mom…she's not that good of a driver…"_

"_Samantha…" Alexis scolded._

"_Mom, you need to be more patient with Tina. She's young and has no fear."_

"_Just so you know, I blame you for that, Samantha."_

_Molly sat on the couch and chuckled to herself. She loved to watch Sam and Alexis argue or debate, in the words of Alexis. Sam and Alexis had such strong bond and only Sam could get away with saying some of the things that came out of her mouth to her mother._

"_Yeah…we'll discuss that later. But in the meantime, why don't you let me teach Tina to drive. We'll all come out of this a little more sane that way."_

"_Yes…that's a great idea, Momma. Let Sammi teach me to drive. Please, Momma…"_

"_Enough with the 'Momma' stuff." Alexis said pointing to Kristina. She then turned her finger to Sam. "Teach her responsibly, Samantha. I mean it. None of this one hand on the wheel and the other hand putting on lipstick."_

_Sam looked at Kristina and laughed. "You didn't…"_

"_My lipstick needed touched up, we were headed into town."_

_Sam looked to the floor and shook her head. She grabbed her younger sister by the hand and led her outside. "You're first lesson, Tina…never ever apply makeup while you are in the drivers seat…while Mom is in the car." Sam finished closing the front door._

"_Samantha, I heard that…" _


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"I think I'm going to stop for gas as soon as we get out of the city…" Ty said looking over to Molly who was sitting the in passenger seat. She watched the cityscape pass by as they headed toward Port Charles. "Gas prices are bound to be lower out side of the city."

Molly didn't respond. She was too busy thinking about the things that she had left unfinished at work. "Are you hungry, Mol?" Ty had asked trying to get her attention.

"I'm sorry, Ty, what did you say?" She finally looked over to him.

"Since we decided to leave tonight, we didn't get a chance to make dinner…Are you hungry?"

"No not really, why don't we just stop in an hour or so?" Molly began to pick at the skin around her thumbnail.

Ty watched Molly's hands out of the corner of his eye "Quit worrying about work…" he finally said.

"What makes you think that I am worrying about work?"

Ty reached over and took her left hand in his right hand. "Because you are picking at your fingers."

"Oh…" Molly shoved her hands in the pockets on her hoody, "sorry, I can't stop thinking about that FDA case. I put Bryan on the case, I hope he doesn't screw it up."

"Molly, you are going to have to learn to trust the abilities of your employees. You have to trust that he is going to handle everything while you are gone."

"Ty, he sat in my office today and read the deposition to me; a deposition that I have gone over a hundred times. I told him to go back on the FDA and go over their procedures. But I know he is going to sit in his office for the next two weeks and twiddle his thumbs. I'm not there to make sure…"

"Molly, why do you feel like you need to be 100 in control all the time? Let you hair down and just go with the flow."

"It's bred into me. My parents are control freaks. My mother is obsessive compulsive and my father is anal-retentive. My parents are a Freudian field day."

Ty tried to hold back a laugh. "You know, I think that is the first time that I have heard you mention your father."

"Yeah, well, I don't get along with my father that well. My parents divorced before I could walk…my dad has some serious issues with my Uncle Sonny…who just happens to be Tina's dad."

"Ah, I see…is that the reasoning behind the divorce?"

"Ah…yeah…I don't know. I have never been able to get an answer to that question. Sam is the only person who I can trust to give me a straight answer and I think my mother has sworn her to secrecy. I've tried to get it out of her a couple of times and she just changes the subject. I do know that my dad and Sam have never gotten along."

"I'm sure Freud would have something to say about that too…" Ty interjected.

"Look, Ty" Molly said pointing to the road sign, "there's a diner at the next exit." Ty nodded and prepared to exit the highway. He knew that Molly still wasn't hungry, but he also picked up on her uncomfortable demeanor when the conversation turned to her father.

"Oh my god, this reminds so much of Grandpa Mikes diner back in Port Charles." Molly closed her eyes for a minute. She took a deep breath. The smell of fresh baked chocolate chip cookies filled her nose.

Flashback 

"Ok…you two hooligans, give me your coats so I can hang them on the hook." Sam pulled her two younger sisters out of the cold and into Kelly's. Alexis had a case to work on and Viola had gone to visit her family for the holidays. But Sam was more than happy to spend some quality sister time with the two little girls.

"_Sammi, can I get some hot chocolate with whipped cream?" Molly asked climbing on a chair at a corner table. _

"_Sure, what about you teeny tiny?" Sam asked as she helped Kristina onto the chair._

"_Well if it isn't the beautiful Davis girls…" Mike greeted as he brought each of them a mug of his famous hot chocolate before they had a chance to order it. "Where's your Momma today?"_

"_Thanks, Mike, Mom had to work today, so it's just us." Sam replied to her, (for all intent purposes) grandfather. Mike was Kristina's biological granddaughter but he treated each girl the same. _

"_Well, in that case, what can I get for you ladies?"_

"_Hmm…I don't know…what you two think?"_

"_Hot fudge sundaes…" Molly belted out. _

"_Yeah," Kristina, repeated. "Hot fudge sundaes."_

_Sam tuned to Mike and shrugged her shoulders. "You heard 'em. Hot fudge sundaes all around."_

"_I'm not sure that your Momma would approve of you three having ice cream for dinner."_

"_Mike, I promise, I will take all the blame. If Mom wants us to eat healthy, then she'll just have to come to dinner with us. Right girls?"_

"_Right!" The two younger girls blurted out in unison. _

"_So what do you guys want to do after dinner?" Sam asked finally getting settled herself. _

_Molly reached over and tapped Sam on the arm. She put her eyebrows together giving Sam a most serious look. "Sammi, I'm a girl. I thought you knew that…"_

"_Oh, I'm sorry…" Sam laughed and kissed her little sister's hand "Let me correct myself…what do you girls want to do after dinner?"_

"_Here we go…" Mike said approaching with a tray. "Three hot fudge sundaes for three beautiful women."_

_The two younger girls quickly began to dig into the ice cream. "Thanks, Mike…" Sam reached out to Mike and pulled him down to her level so that she could whisper in his ear. "Is that chocolate chip cookies that I smell." _

_Mike nodded and smiled. "I'll be right back."_

"_You asked grandpa for cookies didn't you?" Kristina question and Sam just smile. "You are the best big sister…"_

"_Well, that best big sister better start explaining why you three are having hot fudge sundaes and cookies for dinner." Molly's eyes widened and each girl pushed their respective hot fudge sundae to the middle of the table when they heard their mother's voice behind them. Alexis came around the table and kissed each girl on the top of the head before sitting down to join them. _

_Alexis pushed each dish back to each girl. "Go ahead and eat them." She looked at Sam and smile a bright smile. _

_Sam smiled back, just as bright. "Sorry, Mom."_

"_Well, it looks like the fourth Davis girl was able to make it to dinner after all…" Mike said approaching with the cookies and a hot sundae with peanuts for Alexis. _

Molly and Ty sat down in a corner booth. They were quickly greeted by a waitress who pored each of them a cup of coffee.

Ty looked over the menu for a couple of minutes before closing it and looking up to Molly. The waitress returned seconds later. "Are you ready to order?" she questioned the two reaching for her pad and pen.

"I'll have a grilled chicken salad with balsamic vinaigrette, please" Ty responded.

Molly looked up to the waitress. "I'll have a hot fudge sundae."

"Okay, I have all of that ready in a couple minutes..." the waitress began to walk away when Molly called her back.

"Excuse me?"

"Yeah..." the waitress turned around.

"Are those chocolate chip cookies that I smell?"


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer - I do not own General Hosital, , or any media used in this fic. I like to give credit where credit is due. This is for entertainment purposes only and I am making no money off of this whatsoever.

Chapter 4

"Here…" Kristina said as she placed a brown paper bag on the desk.

"What's that?" Sam didn't look up she just continued to write notes on the yellow legal pad. Kristina hovered at the desk for a moment eyeing Sam, before she moved to the black leather couch against the wall.

"You missed dinner again. Mom's worried." Kristina started to flip through the magazine that was sitting on the end table. She looked at the pictures more than anything. Trying to act disinterested in any excuse that Sam was about to give her.

"I'm not hungry."

"Yeah, well, you haven't been hungry all week." Sam cocked her head to the side and raised her eyebrows slightly to her sister. She studied her demeanor then looked back to her notes.

"Did Mom send that?" Sam asked turning the tip of her pen in the direction of the bag.

"Yeah; with explicit instructions to bring home the empty containers with me. So start eating."

"I'm not hungry right now, Tina. I'll drop them off when I get home."

Kristina tossed the magazine down on the couch. She sat up straight and glared at her sister choosing her words wisely. "Sam, if I go home without those empty containers, you know Mom will be here in a matter of minutes, dragging your sorry butt to Kelly's. So shut up and eat."

Sam took a deep breath and let it out. She tossed her pen down and reached for the bag. Meatloaf, baked potato and Brussels sprouts, a small salad on the side and a bottle of water. She took the lid off and reached down for the garbage can. She wasn't hungry, why couldn't anyone get that through their head.

"Don't you dare, young lady," both girls looked up to see their mother enter the room. Kristina slinked back on the couch. Sam laid the food down on the desk looking away from her mother in shame. "I had a feeling that was the route the food was going to go when I told Kristina to bring it."

Sam let out a sigh. She picked up a stack of files from her desk and crossed the room to the filing cabinet. "Mom, what are doing here?" she asked.

Alexis turned around and leaned against the desk following Sam with her eyes. She looked her oldest daughter up and down. Sam was wearing jeans and a T-shirt, certainly not her normal work attire and her feet were bare. She had her hair pulled back into a lazy ponytail. In a word, she looked like sht.

"Samantha, when is the last time that you ate something?" Sam ignored her mother's question and continued to put her files away. Kristina remained on the couch but took her gaze from her sister to her mother.

"Samantha..." Again, no response. Alexis looked to the floor and shook her head. She let out a sigh as she crossed the room to Sam. She pulled the files from Sam's hands and placed them on top of the filing cabinet. That one gesture put Sam in to hysterical sobs. Alexis turned her daughter to her and let her cry as she rocked her to and fro rubbing her back. Kristina watched the pair trying to hold back her own tears.

"I should have stopped him…" Sam cried into her mother's chest. "I should have stopped him."

"Sammi, there is no way that you could have known." Alexis was trying to calm Sam down. She looked over to Kristina who had lost the battle with her tears. Alexis held out one arm in Kristina's direction. Kristina ran to her mother and sister allowing Alexis to wrap her arm around her too.

Alexis held both girls tightly. "It's okay girls. Let it out. You have both been carrying this around too long. Just let it out."

"I should have gone with him."

"No, Sam. No. Don't say that. Because if you," she choked. "If you had been with him, you would be right next to him in that bed. Do you hear me?" She let go of the girls and cupped Sam's face forcing her daughter to look at her. "I can't do this without you. Either of you," she said looking over to Kristina. Tears were now welling up in her eyes.

"I called Molly," Sam finally squeaked out. She was able to calm down enough to think a little straighter. Alexis sighed as she placed her hand on her heart. "I didn't tell her what was going on; I didn't want to worry her. I just asked her to come home for a little while."

Alexis didn't want to smile; she didn't want to get her hopes up that Molly may actually be on her way back to Port Charles. She looked to the ground trying to hide her feelings from Sam and Kristina. She knew that Molly's career was important to her. She was a clone of Alexis at that age. She felt that overwhelming need to make a name for herself despite being the daughter of Ric Lansing.

"She's on her way." Sam saw the look in her mother's eyes. "Of course, I didn't give her a choice." The needed tension breaker made all three ladies laugh.

"When…" Alexis cleared her voice, "When will she be here?"

"I'm not sure, she was going to fly but decided to drive at the last minute. They were leaving last night, and were going to stop at a hotel at the halfway mark."

"They?"

"Ty decided to come with her."

"Probably for the better;" Kristina encouraged. "Someone for support who is emotionally detached from the situation."

Alexis reached into each girl and wiped the tears from their faces. "Come on girls, let's go home. And I mean home to the Lake House, you will both sleep in your rooms tonight. And when Molly and Ty get here…." She trailed off thinking about Molly and Ty together in Molly's old room.

"No argument here, Mom. I don't want to be alone tonight anyway." Kristina said.

"Me neither."

Sam locked the door and followed Kristina out to the hallway. As the last one out, Alexis hit the light switched and turned to close the door. She paused a moment looking at Sam's empty office. She's come so far, Alexis thought to herself. "To think that I almost lost you so many times," Alexis whispered. She was brought back to that day in the May, when Jason walked into her office and announced that Sam was her daughter.

_Flashback (Copyright of ABC Television.)_

"You got pregnant when you were 16. You took the spring semester off from your school, briarton-griggs academy in new hampshire. You went to the bilmont clinic in maine and had a baby girl on Sunday, May 11, 1980, Mother's Day."

"How do you -- how do you know all that?"

"Because that's when Sam was born -- at the Bilmont Clinic. We have the records, Alexis. We tracked down the other mother who gave birth at Bilmont that day, she had a boy. Your baby was a girl, it was Sam."

"I saw the death certificate."

"Look, if you need to run a D.N.A. test, that's fine. But I'm telling you that Sam's your daughter, and she needs you right now!"

"Think about it -- no one else was a match for Kristina, but Sam's baby saved her."

"The baby and Kristina were both Sonny's children."

"Well, and you and Sam are mother and daughter, Sam and Kristina are half sisters."

"No, no, no."

"Alexis, what proof do -- what proof do you have that your daughter is dead? Some form in a -- in a lawyer's office? Why would it even be there? Who goes back and puts a death certificate in an adoption file? Nobody does that."

"My father. Ahem. My father -- ahem -- didn't want anyone to find out. It was all a lie."

"Sam is running out of time, and she needs you."

"Mom, are you coming?" She heard from behind. Alexis turned to see Sam waiting for her. "Kristina went to the car."

She pulled Sam into one more hug remembering that evening again, "I want to say the magic words to you right now that's going to make all of this all better for you, but I don't know what they are. All I can tell you is that I am here, and I'm not going anywhere this time."

"Me neither," Sam repeated.


	5. Chapter 5

"Hey there, big sister…" Molly said as she gently yet lovingly placed her hand on Sam's shoulder from behind careful not to make her jump. It was about four in the morning and Sam was sitting on the couch reading a book. She was tired of tossing and turning. At least reading was something constructive to do.

"Hey," she answered looking up to see Molly coming around the side of the couch and taking a seat next to her. "What are you doing up?"

Molly nodded her head toward the bowl sitting next to Sam, "I smelled the popcorn."

Sam let out a laugh. "Yeah, well, I guess we can hold Mom responsible for our love of Popcorn."

"And chamomile tea…" Molly added as she helped herself to the spread that Sam already had laid out on the coffee table. Sam raised her eyebrows and smiled.

"So the question, Sam, is what are you doing up?"

Sam shrugged her shoulders, "I just couldn't sleep…you know."

"Do I?" Molly questioned.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Come on Sam. I can tell by the look in your eyes that you haven't slept in days. Mom and Tina only wanted to talk about me this evening, and you mysteriously stayed off in the corner reading..." Molly pulled the book from Sam's hands "…The Catcher in the Rye…you are not one for reading the classics, dear sister."

"Maybe Holden Caulfield was on to something…" Sam answered with a raised eyebrow.

"Or…maybe something is going on and everyone is skirting around the issue…"

Sam chewed on her lip as she looked away. "Have you talked to Ric?"

"Dammit, Sam. Don't change the subject."

"I thought I heard voices out here" a voice said behind them. They both turned to see Kristina descending the stairs.

"Oh, hey Tina…" Sam said holding the bowl of popcorn out to her younger sister. "Popcorn?"

"Ohh…yeah." Kristina took the bowl and sat on the floor Indian style looking up at her two sisters. "So, whatcha talking about?"

"Well, Sam was about to tell me what is going on around here; you know…the big topic that everyone seems to be avoiding?" Molly replied. Kristina's eyes widened when she looked from Molly to Sam.

"Ah, no I wasn't."

"What?! What do you mean, 'no you weren't'? Why won't anybody tell me what the hell is going on around here?"

"Molly, keep your voice down." Sam corrected.

"No, Sam. If this is they way it's going to be, I might as well just go back to Manhattan. You two have never let me down…but now you both have just"

Kristina put her hand on Molly's knee interrupting her rant. "Molly, it's not time for you to know. Because you will go back to Manhattan, and Mom really needs this."

"Mom really needs what?" This time all three girls turned and looked at their mother coming down the stairs behind them. Alexis looked up slightly and moved her head from left to right sniffing the air. "Who made popcorn?"

"Sam did…" Kristina answered holding the bowl up for her mother.

Alexis took the bowl and sat down on the floor right in front of Sam. "How dare you make popcorn and not wake me up. I thought I raised you girls right."

"Ah Mom…" Sam held up a finger to cut her mother off. Alexis just took a handful of popcorn and shoved it in Sam's mouth.

"Oh, shove popcorn in it, Samantha."

Sam chewed the popcorn that was in her mouth and reached for her cup of tea to wash it down. "Mother!" Sam said accusingly.

"Daughter…" Alexis gave it right back. She grabbed another handful of popcorn and this time threw it at Sam's face. When Molly and Kristina started laughing, she turned and threw popcorn at them. "What are you two laughing at?"

"Oh, don't even think I'm cleaning that up?" Sam said.

"You'll clean it up if I tell you to, Missy." Alexis said finally tossing some popcorn in to her mouth. "You know why? Because I'm the mother and I get to pull rank."

"Oh you enjoy doing that too. Don't you. Like that time Molly wrote her name on the wall in crayon and you made me clean it." Alexis smiled and nodded.

"I did not write my name on the wall in crayon," Molly defended.

"Yes you did, Molly." Kristina said. "You were the only person who spelled your name M-y-l-o-l. Mom, why did you make Sam clean that?"

Alexis reached up and tickled the bottom of Sam's foot making her slide her feet under her robe. "To teach her a lesson; that I'm still the Mother no matter how old you get." She narrowed her eyes as she point to each of her three daughters.

"I still say the housekeeper would have been able to get it off without repainting the wall. Which if I recall that's what I had to do, because the cleaner you gave me stripped the paint."

"Or a team of housekeepers, Kristina;" Alexis look directly at Kristina "that you had your sister hire to clean up after the party that you and Molly had when I was in Philadelphia on business."

"You knew about that?" Molly asked.

"Yes, I knew about that."

"How did you find out?" Kristina asked looking up at Sam, who looked away from the gaze.

"Sam! You ratted us out?" Kristina took a handful of popcorn and threw it at Sam.

"Hey, I'm the one who took the blame, Kristina. I had to tell her, she found pizza in her sock drawer; because someone didn't lock Mom's bedroom door like I told her to do…Molly."

"Hey, don't drag me into this. It wasn't my party."

"Oh, your friends were there too, Mol."

"Ha…how you would you know, Tina. You were too busy making out with Cory Myers…"

Alexis cocked her head to the side and gave Sam a very accusing look.

"Hey, don't look at me, Mom. I was at my own house. I just helped with the clean up."

"Your own house, Samantha? Your own house is next door?"

"Okay…yeah…but…"

"Sam, if I were you," Kristina interrupt, "I would just stop talking because you keep getting yourself in deeper and deeper?"

"Well girls, I'm sure if I let this continue, I'll get a lot more confessions. But right now I'm tired." Alexis leaned over and gave Kristina a kiss on the cheek. She got up off of the floor to give Molly a kiss and hug, then moved to Sam. She placed her finger under Sam's chin and lifted her head just enough to kiss the tip of her nose. "I'm pulling rank, daughter. You get to clean the popcorn."

Kristina and Molly both laughed at Sam as Alexis walked toward the stairs. "Shut-up…You two brats got me into this."

"Oh, Kristina and Molly," Alexis stopped and turned back to her daughters. "You two get to paint my room. Good night girls." Alexis turned back to the stairs and it was Sam's turn to laugh at her sisters.

"Night, Mom!" The three said in unison as they watched Alexis disappear up the stairs.

Sam leaned over the the couch and began to pick up the popcorn. Molly placed her hand over Sam's. "Please, Sammi." She said. "Please tell me what happened."

Sam looked over to Kristina who nodded then looked into Molly's eyes but stayed silent. "I promise I won't leave, you guys are right. Mom needs us together, I just don't know why."

"Molly, sit down..." Kristina started.

"Tina, don't..." Sam interrupted. "I'll do it. Molly there was an accident."

"What kind of accident?" Molly looked from Sam to Kristina. She saw the tears rolling down Kristina face. "Sammi...what. kind. of. accident?"

Sam sat down next to Molly and took her hands into hers. "Molly" Sam swallowed hard. "Nikolas and Spencer were having an argument."

"An argument..." Molly looked away. "About what?"

"About what is not important right now..." Kristina interjected. "Keep going..."

Sam looked over to Kristina who nodded again giving her approval to tell Molly the rest. "Anyway, I walked in on their argument. I tried to stay out of it, but at every turn Spencer was asking my opinion. They were both making some good points. And when I agreed with Spencer on something...Nikolas got mad and stormed out. Spencer followed him."

Molly was trying to hold back the tears. "I don't want to hear anymore."

"I'm sorry, Mol. I should have went with him. I didn't know. I swear to god, I didn't know."

Molly leaned in and pulled Sam into a tight hug. Kristina joined their hug and the girls held on to each for what seemed like hours.

"Molly," Kristina said breaking away from the hug, "there's more."

Molly wiped the tears from her eyes. "No, I don't want to know anymore." She got up and ran to her room.

"Molly," Kristina called after her.

Sam stood and wrapped her arms around Kristina from behind. "Let her go. She's not ready for the rest. Let her deal with this part first."

Kristina turned into Sam and put her forehead to her sister's. "Okay." Together they walked back up the stairs. "I love you, Sammi," Kristina said as she stopped in the hallway. Sam smiled to her little sister. "I love you too, teeny tiny."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Kristina stood at the doorway looking into the hospital room. With all the bruises and cuts it was hard to tell who was lying in the bed hook to all of the machines. She knew it was her cousin, but he looked like a stranger. Her other cousin sat vigil by the bedside, his face buried deep in his hands.

"Hey," She said, finally making her presence known.

He looked up. His dark eyes looked so tired. It was almost amazing that he was even awake. "Hey, Kris…what are you doing here this early?"

"I came to relieve you." She pulled the stool next to the bed and sat down. "You need to go home. Take a shower; get some rest…something to eat."

"I'm not hungry," he said turning away from her gaze.

"Oh, now you're starting to sound like Samantha."

"How is Sam doing?" He asked. He knew the circumstances. Hell he was there. He knew that Sam was blaming herself for the accident. And for a moment he blamed her too. It was easier to blame Sam than to accept what was happening. It seemed to be a family trait. But he loved his cousin and was genuinely concerned for her.

"Same…" Kristina answered. "She's having a hard time with it."

He got up and paced the room rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah, she came by last night, but she didn't stay."

"I had a feeling that she was here. She didn't make it to dinner again last night. When I found her, she was at work."

"Has she eaten?" he asked.

"No. Mom's been pretty worried about her."

"How is Aunt Alexis?"

"She's putting up a strong front. But you know how Mom is…"

He nodded as he sat back down. He knew that Alexis was going to put everyone else above her. That's just the way that she was. The matriarch of the family; Helena would have been so proud. He laughed to himself when he pictured the look on Helena's face. I'm sure great-grandmother is rolling in her grave; knowing that Alexis was the one that survived them all.

"Molly's back." Kristina said breaking the silence. He looked up. "She and Ty got in last night. Sam called her."

"Does she know?"

"She knows bits and pieces. Sam only made it through about half of the story when she ran out of the room."

He closed his eyes and held them until the tired burn faded away. He could feel tears coming as he tried to fight them. He curled his fingers into a fist and placed them over his mouth as he turned to Kristina. "I can't do this Kris," he started to cry.

Kristina leaned over and pulled him into her arms. "Shh. I know."

"NO. You don't know. You can't know." He pulled away and started pacing again.

"He's laying there dying, Tina. And he hates me."

She got up and pulled him into another embrace. He wrapped his arms around her tightly as he cried into her shoulder. "My dad hates me, Tina. My dad hates me."

Kristina stood there and held him tight. Just like her sister had done for her so many times through the years. She let him cry. He needed to cry. He needed to tell someone how he felt even if it wasn't justified.

"He doesn't hate you, Spence," she assured when his sobbing slowed. He pulled away and wiped his tear stained face.

"He's lying here dying and there's not a damn thing that I can do about it."

Kristina closed her eyes and listened to his rant. "Our family owns this damn hospital and we can't save him. What the hell is wrong with that picture?" With one swing of his arm, in anger, he pushed everything that was on the table tray to the floor.

"Who…who are you calling?" he asked when Kristina pulled out her cell phone.

"Mom…" she answered. "You need to get out of here for awhile."

"No, Tina. No."

"Spencer, please just let Mom take to you the Lakehouse for a while. Visit with Molly, take a nap, get something to eat."

"NO!" He yelled slapping the phone out of Kristina's hand when she hit send.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa…what's going on in here?" Lucky and Lulu entered the room. Lucky pushed Spencer against the wall breaking up the altercation.

"Take him home," Kristina said looking from Lulu to Spencer. "He needs to get out of here. He needs a break."

Kristina fled from the hospital room. She stopped in the hallway a few doors down and let the tears fall. She knew that this was hard on Spencer it was hard on them all. Once her tears slowed, she made her way to her car. But she couldn't drive. Her mind kept remembering when they were kids.

_Flashback_

_"Come on, Spencer..." Kristina called to her younger cousin and sister. The three were walking the path from the big castle to the stables. They had dug through the pantry until they each found an item. Kristina was carrying a bag of carrots, Molly had the bottom of her shirt curled up to form a pouch that was filled with apples, and Spencer was skipping behind holding a box of sugar cubes. _

_"There he is, I see him." Molly called out as she point to the fenced in barnyard. "Rubi...we're coming and we have goodies." The trio had waited all afternoon for the stable hand to put the horses out to graze in the afternoon sun. Kristina new the schedule and was watching the clock. When it struck 1:00 she gathered her sister and cousin._

_As they got closer to the wooden fence, they all took off running. Each trying to be the first to give Rubicon a treat. But Spencer was the one that Rubicon was looking for. The little boy that he came to visit him every day. Spencer carefully pulled a handful of sugarcubes out of the box and placed them in his hand. He crawled up onto the wooden rung and gleefully held out his sugarfilled hand. Rubicon gently licked the sugarcubes out of the little boys hand. Spencer giggled all the while._

_The animal moved to the next child, opened his lips and snatched the whole apple from Molly's small hand. He alternated between apples and carrots until the children's supply of goodies was exhausted. Spencer once again held out his hand. Rubicon knew what Spencer wanted. The horse turned sideways along the fence allowing all three kids to use the fence as a ladder and crawl onto his back. Spencer had a tight grip on Rubicon's mane, Molly sat behind Spencer and wrapped her arms around his waist to hold on. Kristina crawled up behind Molly and held onto her little sister. _

_Rubi always knew when the kids were riding and always gingerly walked around the barnyard. The kids never saw any harm in this activity. Rubicon was such a quiet horse. But this day was different. Nobody noticed the rabbit that was chewing on the long grass. The rabbit frieghtened Rubicon when it poked it's head up as the horse drew near. Rubicon quickly jumped to the side when the rabbit took off on a high speed run. Each child was caught unawares and all three landed flat on their backs in the barn yard. _

_Spencer was the first to get up. He wiped his hands on the back of his pants then turned to help the girls. "Boy that was fun," he laughed._

_"My butt hurts," Molly replied. _

_Kristina looked around to make sure that no adults had seen. She was relieve that she didn't see anyone in sight. "Are you two okay?" she asked._

_"Yeah, lets do it again...Rubi...come here boy..."_

_"No Spencer, if Mom finds out we fell off the horse, we're all dead." Kristina was wishing that she had stopped them before they got on the horse._

_They made a pact that day. They would never ride Rubicon by theirselves again. And they would never, ever tell their parents._

_"I promise, I will never tell anyone about today" Spencer stated._

_"Me neither." Molly followed._

_"I won't either." Kristina finished. _

_"What about you rubi. Are you gonna tell?" Rubicon simply snorted and shook his head._

Kristina smiled to herself as she remembered that day. "We'll be okay, Spence.I'll still never tell" she whispered.


	7. Chapter 7

Well, here you go. It took me dropping a bottle of V-8 on my foot for me to sit down and write the next chapter. I have no idea where this is going and this chapter kind wrote itself. But since I'm patiently waiting for my husband to get home from work to me to Med Express for X-rays, I guess I'll start the next chapter. I hope you like it...and as always, I hate to proofread...so ignore the errors until i find them and fix them. -Jenn

Chapter 7

Spencer stepped up onto the deck that surrounded the lakehouse. He couldn't bring himself to knock on the door for fear of what he would have to face on the other side. He leaned against the railing and looked out over the lake. It was a calm, tranquil morning. The birds were chirping and squirrels were playing on the path that twisted through the woods and led down to the lake. He smiled to himself as he thought about the first time that he followed that path.

_Flashback_

"_Molly...Molllllllllly..." the young 12 year old cried. "Molly where are you?"_

"_Hey Spence, whatcha doin'?" Spencer quickly turned around to see his older Cousin Sam standing just behind him. He loved Sam like a sister and he felt a connection with her that he couldn't quite explain but a smile always spread across his face whenever she was around._

"_Oh, hey Sam. I was looking for Molly. Aunt Alexis told her that she had to clean her room and when I went to help, she was gone."_

_Sam let out a laugh, "So Molly's hiding from Mom, huh? Why doesn't that surprise me?" Sam moved to Spencer's side and wrapped her arm around his shoulders and leaned her head down to his. She lifted her other arm and pointed toward the woods. "You see that path over there, right beside the black raspberry bush?" Spencer nodded. "Follow that path and you'll find Molly at the end of it. It leads down to the lake and there is a huge log that Molly sits on when she wants to be alone. Or hide...from Mom," she finished._

_Spencer's eyes got huge and unsure. He looked up to his cousin with uncertainty. "What? What's wrong?" she asked._

"_That path...it...um...goes into the...um...woods." _

"_Yeah, so?"_

"_I'm not supposed to go into the woods, Sam."_

_Sam shook her head from side to side in disbelief. "Spencer, you're too good of a kid and your father is freakishly overprotective. Every now and then you're going to have to take a chance in life. Do you want to go see Molly?"_

_He nodded. "Then go. Don't worry about what Nik is going to say. I take care of him. If he finds out. And he doesn't need to find out. So go. Stay on the path."_

"_You'll cover it with dad?" _

"_Yes, I take of your dad." Spencer smiled and ran toward the path._

"_Hey, Spence," Sam called to him. _

_He stopped and turned, "yeah?"_

"_Do you have your phone?" he nodded and she smiled. "Good, call me if you get lost." He flashed her one more smile and disappeared down the path._

"Hey, Spence..." He heard Molly's voice pull him out of his memory. He turned to see Molly standing behind him she looked so much like Sam and he let the smile crawl across his face once more at the memory. "What are you doing here?"

"Hi, Mol. I didn't know that where back... "

"Yeah, I got in last night."

"I stopped by hoping to talk to Tina and Sam."

"Sam and Tina aren't here. Sam had to take some things to the office and Mom made Tina go with her. It was funny, Mom gave Tina explicit instructions to stay in the car and wait for Sam."

"How come?"

"Well, Mom knows that Sam had to take the car keys with her to get into her office. So if Tina stayed in the car suffocating in the heat, Sam wouldn't be compelled to stay at work and shut out the world." She sat down on the padded wicker bench and patted the pillow next her motion for Spencer to join her. "So, how are you doing?"

He shrugged and accepted her invitation to sit. "As well as can be expected, I guess. Did Aunt Alexis fill you in?"

"Yeah, well...no...Sam started to tell me, but I kinda ran off. I didn't want to hear it. Besides, I get the feeling that I should hear it from you."

Spencer looked away quickly. He stared at the path thinking back to that day with Sam, her words were ringing in his head, 'every now and then you're going to have to take a chance in life.' He let out a sigh and turned back to Molly. "I don't know how to say this Mol, so I just going to blurt it out. I joined the Marines."

Molly flinched in shock and anger, "you did WHAT?"

"I think you heard me."

"What on earth possessed you to join the Marines?"

"I wanted something more, Molly." He got up and began to pace.

"Does Mom know about this?" she asked as she watched him move back and forth.

"Yeah, everyone knows. Including my Dad."

"And again, I ask. What on earth possessed you to join the Marines?"

He stopped pacing and looked at her intently, "Molly, I had to. I am tired of having everything handed to me. Think about it, we have never had to work for anything in our lives. The only person who wasn't handed everything on a silver platter was Sam. I want to know what it feels like to actually work to achieve something. You, Tina, and me...we never wanted for anything. We were all given a college education. I was handed a VP-ship as soon as my diploma was in my hand."

"You know, Spence, that is probably the only perk to being a part of this family."

"I want more Molly. I want a sense of self worth."

"Okay, I probably don't want the answer to this, but where does Sam fit in. She's beating herself up over something..."

"I got lost..."

"What?"

"I got lost. Remember that day that I finally followed the path down to the lake?"

Molly laughed, "Oh yeah, the day that I was hiding from Mom so I didn't have to clean my room."

"Yeah...well the only reason I walked down the path that day was because Sam convinced me to take a chance. Then she followed it up with 'call me if you get lost'. Ever since that day, I've counted on Sam to help me find my way when I am truly lost. So I talked to the recruiter. I've thought long and hard about what I wanted to do...and then I called Sam."

Molly's anger began to build. Spencer was always her best friend. Her confidante. Why didn't he feel that he could come to her? Why Sam?

"So tell me Spencer, did you sign the papers before or after you talk to my free loading, con artist sister?"

"Molly, that's below the belt..."

"Before or after, Spencer?"

"Molly..."

"Before or After? It's a simple question Spencer..."

"After...alright...after"

"What did she say to you? Did she convince you that joining the Marines would be adventurous? That the world would be at your fingertips? How this is the best thing that you could possibly do with your life?"

"No..." he yelled back at Molly. "No, she told me that it was my life and if this is what I want then I should go for with everything that I got. And that she would support any decision that I would make. She told me that she would back me up with Dad and Aunt Alexis. She understood...no correction... she understands what I am feeling."

Molly let out and angry sigh and looked up to the sky "so how did this lead to Nik's accident?"

Once again he leaned against the railing and remembering that stormy night, "Sam came over the night that I told Dad..."

_Flashback_

"_What the hell do you mean, you joined the Marines? If you want to get yourself killed you can just go work for Sonny and Jason. I have worked hard to give you everything that you ever wanted, Spencer and this is how you repay me?"_

"_Dad this isn't about you, okay?" Spencer was interrupted when Nigel entered the room to announce the arrive of Samantha Davis, who was right on the butler's heels._

"_This isn't a good time, Sam...I call you later." Nikolas tried to dismiss her._

"_I asked Sam to be here Dad." Spencer stepped up next to Sam._

"_What?"_

"_Before I made my final decision, I talked to Sam."_

"_Oh, so this is your doing, huh Sam?" He asked as he shoved her back from Spencer._

"_I didn't do anything but support my cousin in a decision that he as made for himself, Nikolas." She shot back. _

"_His life is fine."_

"_For you maybe, but what about him. He wants more, we wants to get out of corporate Cassadine and see what else is out there."_

"_And you had nothing to do with that? You didn't fill his head about traveling the world without a care in the world, conning enough cash to eat for month, or going from on port to another?"_

"_No I didn't, I simply told him that I am proud of him for making such a hard decision and I wills support him in any way that I can. You know that I did the best that I could with the life that was handed to me, Cousin. I was taken from my mother and given to family that didn't give a sh-- about me. I did what I had to do to survive, it wasn't a decision that I made. But I know what it is like to have to depend on myself. I have a confidence that I wouldn't have had if I had grown up in Club Cassadine. And maybe, just maybe Spencer wants to find out what he can be outside of the Cassadines as well."_

"_So you support his decision to run off to war and get himself killed?"_

"_No, I support his decision to live his own life outside of this family's money." Nikolas glared at Sam. She was saying all the right words to the wrong person. "This is on you," he pointed to Sam and said with an angry calm as he left the room. _

"_I'm so sorry, Sam..." Spencer started. _

_Sam put up her hand to stop him. She shook her head, "you don't have anything to be sorry about. He just upset, he'll get over it and calm down. You'll see." _

_Spencer smiled at his cousin. She truly did understand how he felt. Probably the only person in his family who did understand._

"_Excuse me," Nigel said as he entered the room. "But Mr. Cassadine had taken the launch."_

"_Let him go, Nigel, he's probably just going to the Metro Court."_

"_I'm sorry Miss Davis, but you don't understand, he has taken the launch boat on his own without the captain."_

_Spencer looked to Sam, "Oh my God...the storm." The cousins took off to the boat house. Sam was hoping that she could call Nikolas on the radio and get him to stop the boat and at least wait out the storm. They could see the boat out in the water but the storm moved in from out over the lake and brought horrible winds with it. It was all they could do just to make it to the boat house. When they finally got inside the boat house a weather alert was coming across the radio indicating strong winds and tornado warnings. Sam tried to call the boat, it was getting further and further away but it was not headed toward the docks of Port Charles. It was headed out toward the middle of the lake. _

"_Call the Coast Guard," Spencer shouted. "He's not going to answer you, he's too angry." Sh--! He's right. Sam nodded in agreement and quickly changed the channel on the radio. _

_Sam quickly explained the situation to the Coast Guard. They had a boat that was already out and moving in that direction. Spencer and Sam listened as the Coast Guard boat communicated with the port. _

"_We got it, he's moving away from the harbor."_

"_Do what you got to do to stop him, if he gets any further out in this storm, he'll capsize."_

"_We shot up flairs, he's not responding to the radio...oh sh--...Send the chopper, the boat capsized. A microburst has capsized the boat."_

"_Chopper is on it's way. We are sending a boat to the island to pick up Miss Davis and_

_Mr. Cassadine."_

_Spencer turned to his cousin with tears welling up in his eyes, "Sam?"_

"_He's okay, Spence, the Coast Guard is already there, they are going to bring him in. Come on, let's go to the dock, they'll take us to the hospital."_

"Oh my God, Spencer, I am so sorry." Molly got up and pulled her cousin into a warm yet strong embrace. Tears were streaming down his face. This was the first time that he had to tell the whole story, Sam was the one that was holding everything together and keeping people up to date. Molly released Spencer when she saw Sam's car pull into the driveway. She watched was Sam and Kristina made their way to the deck.

"Hey Spence, are you okay?" Sam said noticing the tears.

"You bit--" Molly started as she grabbed Sam's arm and pulled him away from Spencer.

"Excuse me," Sam narrowed her eyes toward her sister.

"You heard me..." Molly shoved Sam backwards. "You bit--."

"Molly stop," Kristina yelled. "Don't start something that you can't finish."

"Shut up, Kristina. This is between me and Sam."

"Molly, what the hell are you talking about?"

"Oh you know what I'm talking about sister dear. How dare you encourage Spencer and this stupid idea of joining the Marines. Is it your goal to destroy this family?"

"You are not thinking clearly. I have done nothing wrong. I'm sorry if you don't agree with the decisions that Spencer is making in his life but that is for you to deal with. I have done nothing but try to be here for this family. You're the one that took off to Manhattan. You don't call, you don't visit. Mom and Dad have bent over backwards to try to get you to come back home and you don't even return the phone calls. You don't give a damn about this family...little sister." Sam pushed passed her sister to enter the house. Molly grabbed Sam's arm and spun her around before she was able to open the door.

"Just because you're Daddy's little girl, doesn't mean that you get to make the rules for this family."

Sam jerked her arm from Molly's grip, "You no nothing about what has been going on around here. You want to be mad at me for that? Fine. ..be mad at me, but leave Dad out of this. You can be mad at me all you want, but in the end the blame goes back on you. You distanced yourself."

Molly reach back then brought her arm forward to slap Sam across the cheek. Just as Sam back out of the way, the door opened and Jerry stepped out on to the deck catching Sam as she fell backwards. "What in the world is going on out here?" he asked as he steadied Sam. He looked around to each girl and Spencer.

Jerry and Alexis had married years ago and only Alexis, Nikolas, and Sam had knew of his past and he worked hard to win over Sam's affection. When Jerry saved her life after the hit and run, she finally considered him worthy enough to be around her mother. But when he began to become protective of the whole family she finally gave into the idea that Alexis was in love with this man. But it was the day that Jerry invited Sam to lunch at the Metro Court. That was the day that he asked for Sam's permission to marry her mother. She gave her permission followed by a warning, 'if you hurt her in any way, you have to answer to me.' When they broke from lunch, she gave him a final smile, I would love to have you as my Dad. And there it was, from that day forward, all three girls considered and call Jerry Jacks, "Dad." But he was always going to have that special place in his heart for Sam.

"Nothing, Dad," Kristina finally answered. "Molly finally stuck around long enough for someone to tell her the truth. And rather than accept it, she decided that it was a better idea to blame Sam."

"Ah I see," he said looking from Molly to Sam. "Sam...Tina, go help your mother in the kitchen please?"

"Sure, Dad..." Kristina answered as she followed Sam inside.

"Spencer, you look exhausted, go inside and lay down..." Spencer nodded to his uncle as he retreated into the house. "Molly, we need to talk..." He reached for her hand and led her toward the path to the lake.


	8. Chapter 8

Still editing...hope you enjoy. -Jenn

Chapter 8

"So, you wanna tell me what's really going on in that head of yours?" Jerry asked Molly as they reached the end of the docks. Both Jerry and Molly sat on the edge and dangled their feet just above the water. Molly sat in silence, not really ignoring Jerry's question but more brooding at the thought that she would have to answer it.

Jerry reached over for the fishing poles and tackle box pulling out a fun-size three musketeer bar and handed it to Molly. As Jerry rigged the fishing poles, Molly carefully peeled the chocolate off of the candybar and dribble it into the water.

"Nothing, Daddy..." She finally answered as she handed him half of the fluffy nougat from the candy. He molded the candy around the hook of the fishing pole then handed it to her. He quickly did the same with his pole before the two cast out into the water at the same time.

"Come on, Mol, this is me you're talking to...not your Mum."

She glared at him from the corner of her eye. She tried to study him but he was too good. He kept his eyes focused on the bobbers floating in the water. She chewed on her lip "Dad...can I ask you a question?"

"Mhmm..."

"Are you ever sorry that you gave up your career for Mom?"

He cocked his head to the side, "who said that I gave up my career?"

"Come on, I know that working for Uncle Jax was not your chosen profession...you were miserable."

"I wasn't miserable...but it was better than bumming around the world living off of the Jacks empire. And it kept me near you girls."

"You mean Sam."

"No, I mean you girls, you, Tina, Sam and your mother."

"Okay, but still do you ever regret giving it up? You know...the spontaneity, the freedom..."

"No, I don't. It was a rough life style." He laughed, "you're mother tamed me." And he couldn't help but smile when Molly laughed too.

"You know there was a time when your mother hated me...Sam too."

"Really?"

"Oh yes...you were about two, I think. When I first came back into town an met your mother and sister. We got off on the wrong foot so to speak. And Sam was fiercely protective of your mother. Although she wouldn't admit to it. It took a lot for me to win over Samantha."

"Had to tame the wild beast, huh?"

"Back then, Sam and your mother were working through issues of their own and I didn't help matters much. It was easy for you and Tina to like me, you were both so little. But Sam and I have been through a lot more..."

"I didn't mean it Daddy..." Molly leaned her head on Jerry's shoulder and he put his arm around her.

"Mean what, sweetheart?"

"Everything that I said to Sam...I didn't mean it. I was angry..."

"I know baby, Sam knows too."

"Daddy?"

"hmmm?"

"I'm scared." She looked up into his eyes and he gently kissed her forehead.

"I know, baby, we all are..."

"No, not just for Nikolas and Spencer...Dad, Ty asked me to marry him...I'm afraid of that..."

"That's great, darling! Congratula..." he saw the look of fear on her face, "Ahhh...that's not so great?" Molly shook her head. "Why?"

"Well let's face it, the Davis women do not have a good track record when it comes to men. I mean, come on...how many times was Mom married before you?"

"Well baby, all I can say is follow your heart. Your heart won't deceive you. If you have any doubts whatsoever then you should wait. But just so you know, no man will ever be good enough for my little girls, that's why your sisters aren't married."

"I want to move back home, but he wants to stay in Manhattan. His career..."

"Oh, I get it...hence the line of questioning...and fighting with your sister. Family friction made the decision to stay in Manhattan easier..."

Molly shyly nodded. "Yeah, I mean, if we don't get along that's incentive to stay away...you know..to keep peace."

"The only problem with that is you love your sisters and family, you want to be near them and be with them. You're only fooling yourself, sweetheart. You have to do what you want to do and if Ty can't support that, then maybe you two are right for each other."

"I think I've known all along that he wasn't 'the guy', but I didn't want to lose what we had together." Molly let out a long sigh, "I guess I owe Sammi an apology, huh?"

"I think you owe her a big sloppy wet little sister kiss.." he laughed and pulled her in to a one armed hug.

_Flashback_

"Come on, are you girls ready yet?" Sam pushed the screen door open as she backed through it carrying two pillows and a sleeping bag.

"I'm coming," Molly yelled as she ran down the stairs toward her older sister. She stopped abruptly when she saw her bright pink stuffed chimp lying on the floor next to the couch, "Oh no, I almost forgot Mr. Fancy Monkey Silly Dance. He wants to sleep in the tent tonight too."

"Okay Molly, but we're only sleeping in the back yard, anything that you forgot you can come right back inside to get. Come on, Teeny Tiny..."

"What is all the yelling in here?" Alexis asked when she heard Sam bellow the latest command to Kristina.

"If you're waiting on Kristina, she's already out in the tent...I helped her carry the two sleeping bags that she was dragging through the house," Jerry said when he followed Alexis into the living room.

"Sweetheart, are you going to be okay out there with these two?" Alexis picked up Molly and gave her a big kiss on the cheek.

"I'll be fine, Mom...we're going to tell a couple of stories then it's off to bed. Right, Molly?"

"Yeah, we're gonna tell monster stories." Molly answered with excitement. This was the first time that she was actually allowed to sleep outside in the tent. In her four year old mind, it was the best thing to ever happen.

"Okay, Molly, be good for your sister."

"I will," Molly followed Sam out the door and into the back yard where the tent was already set up. Kristina had already spread out her sleeping bag and had instructions for the Sam's and Molly's. Kristina and Molly were both on an end and Sam in the middle, that way they could both sleep next to their big sister.

After the girls had everything set up, it was time for the monster stories that Molly was anxiously awaiting. "Sammi, want me to tell you my about my monster," Molly started with excitement.

"You have a monster?" Kristina asked.

"Yep...three of them."

"Three of them, well tell us about them what are their names" Sam coaxed the little girl on. She was good with her little sisters. Out of everything that she ever had and ever lost, she was glad to have Kristina and Molly.

"The first one's name is George. He's a tickle monster..."

"Ooo, and what does George look like?"

"He is really tall and really fat and he has feathers on him's fingers and him goes around and tickles little girls in the middle of the night."

"Oh no," Sam played on, "I don't like to be tickled, how do we get him to go away?"

"That's easy, silly, you have to tickle his arm pits."

"That's funny, Molly, I like that monster..." Kristina chimed in. "Who's the next monster?"

"Bozo."

"Bozo?"

"Yep, Bozo, he has orange hair and blue fur."

"And what does Bozo do?"

"He tries to scare you but he looks so funny and you have to honk his nose to get him to go away."

All of the girls laughed. Molly had such an imagination, "and who is the third monster?" Sam asked.

Molly leaned into Sam and whispered, "His name is Scary, and he rips your skin off if you get too close."

"Oh my goodness Molly, where did you hear about him?" Sam was afraid of the answer even though she had a good idea where it came from, or who rather.

"I heard Michael telling Morgan about him." Yep, hit the nail on the head. Sam just shook her head. And then it came, she knew it, Molly had scared herself with her own monster stories. "Sammi, what if scary comes tonight?"

Sam picked up the little girl on positioned her on her lap. "I can guarantee that Scary will not come tonight?"

"How..."

"Easy, you know how we put bug spray on to keep the bugs away from us?" Molly nodded. "Well I have monster spray that I sprayed all over the tent and through the house to keep Scary away."

Molly jumped up and gave Sam a big hug, but her eyes got huge again when she pointed at two shadows moving toward the tent, "Then who is that?" She asked near tears.

"Maybe it's George and Bozo..." Kristina laughed as the figures unzipped the tent. Soon two heads popped through the tent door.

"It's not George and Bozo, it's Mommy and Daddy..." Molly laughed.

"Yep, we brought you girls popcorn. You can't have a camp out without popcorn."

"Ooo...thanks Mommy, this is the best camp out." Molly said as Alexis and Jerry crawled inside with their girls.

"Are you girls having fun out here?" Jerry asked pulling Kristina into his lap.

"Yep, Molly was telling us her about her monsters."

"Oo, are they scary?" Alexis asked.

"Just one, but Sammi put monster spray on the tent to keep him away..."

"She did? Well that's a pretty smart big sister you have there..." Jerry said as he winked at Sam. Sam returned a slight smile.

"Well, I think you two need to thank Sam for sleeping out here with you tonight..."

"Better yet," Jerry smiled, "Give her great big sloppy wet little sister kisses."

That's all it took. Both girls jumped up and tackle Sam planting wet kisses all over her face.

End flashback. 

"Yeah, sloppy wet little sister kisses..." Molly whispered to herself. "Thanks, Daddy."


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Sam kicked off her shoes before she entered into the kitchen ranting the whole way. Kristina followed close behind only half listening to her sister. Alexis was cooking dinner tonight so that meant take-out from the Metro Court. Alexis loved to call the Metro court for dinner, she never had to make a decision on what to order. Jax had given the cook orders that whenever Alexis called she was to be given a little of all of her favorites and it was the girls' job to remove the food from the Styrofoam containers and make it look presentable.

"I don't know what the hell her problem is, all I have to say is that but she better stay clear of me…or I can't be held responsible for what I do or say…ungrateful little brat. She can just go back to Manhattan. See if I give a flying flip…"

Alexis stopped digging for a bowl long enough to turn around and see the girls entering the kitchen. She took one look at Sam's face and went right back to looking for the bowl. She shook her head as she listened to Sam continued to rant.

"I don't know why she's blaming me for her short comings. I've tried to keep her in the loop…I've tried to let her know what was going on...why is she acting like this?" Sam asked looking at Kristina as she moved across the kitchen.

Kristina eyes got huge. She quickly looked to her mother for help. When Alexis kept her back turned, Kristina stammered "Ah, yeah…I don't know what's up with Molly…"

Sam pulled the dinner plates from the cabinet and slammed the cupboard door closed. "I never should have called her. I should have just told her everything after the fact." Sam set the plates on the table and went for the silverware, again, slamming the draw shut.

"She could have just stayed in New York and continued to distance herself. That's what she wants anyway. Everything is about her and her career. Life isn't a bowl of cherries; I know that."

"Sam, you're not making any sense...you're talking in riddles..." Kristina started, only to receive a death glare from her sister.

"Were you not just out there with me?" Sam reached up to get the glasses for the table. "Did you not just witness her laying into me…"

"Samantha, stop…" Alexis interrupted by putting her hands on her shoulders just before Sam slammed another door. "If you keep slamming things, my cabinet doors are going to fall off the hinges."

Sam just turned and glared at Alexis. "I sent your father outside to settle this argument, why did you two bring it in here?"

"Dad and Molly went for a walk. He sent us inside to help you." Kristina answered.

Alexis sat down at the table and let out a sigh "figures…okay what's going on…and don't…" Sam opened her mouth but Alexis put up her finger to stop her, "and don't tell me 'nothing'," Alexis added. Sam crossed her arms and rolled her eyes as she leaned against the counter.

"Fine…Molly's an ungrateful little brat."

"Okay, I got that part," Alexis said looking up to Kristina… "What did she do?"

"Molly, unleashed her anger on Sam. Spencer finally told Molly his plans and she freaked." Kristina answered as she pulled out a chair and sat next to Alexis.

"Mom, I only called her because I thought she would want to be here…" Sam finally said with a little bit of calmness in her voice. "I thought that…I thought that everything would be a little better if we were all here together. But instead, she blamed me for Spencer's decision. "

"Well, Sam, I don't think she is as mad at you as she is at herself. Her and Spencer were always so close, neither one of them would make a decision without the other. But when she moved away...the rules changed."

"Well then that's her problem…" Sam yelled again with full of anger.

Alexis rolled her eyes then shot Sam a look "Are you going through menopause? Because really Samantha, I can't handle the mood swings anymore."

"Mom...come on...I'm serious. And why do you always have to call me Samantha. What's wrong with Sam?"

Alexis looked to Kristina with confusion before she answered, "Because I'm your mother and that's your name. Deal with it!" Sam face began to pale and Alexis got up to guide Sam to the chair that she had been sitting in. "You need to sit down, now." This time Sam didn't fight or argue. She simply did as she was told and steadied herself on the chair.

"Tina, get her a glass of water." Kristina quickly did as she was asked and Alexis turned her focus back on to Sam.

"Sam...Sam..." Sam wouldn't look at her. It was if she was in a tranced state staring at the floor. Alexis cupped Sam's face in her palms and forced Sam to look at her. "Sam...honey. You need to tell me what this is about. You need to tell me what is going on." Sam could see her mother's lips moving but she couldn't hear anything. The room was spinning. She felt Alexis shake her but she heard nothing. Then everything went black. Sam closed her eyes and fell out of the chair. She hit the floor unconcious.

"Sam...wake up...Samantha...come on, wake up, Sammi!" Alexis yelled as she tried to shake her daughter back to conciousness.

Kristina stood there frozen. The memory flooded back. The memory of the time when she was seven years old and her mother was in an induced coma because she had developed pneumonia after lung surgery to removed a spot on her lung.

_Flashback - __Copyright 2006 ABC Television Group - No infringement intended - and a shout out to the actresses who uttered the words. Heaven knows that I couldn't do it.___

Sam walked up to the nurses desk. She got to the hospital as soon as she could after she got the call from Viola. "Excuse me. Have you -- have you seen Alexis' daughter Kristina --"

"And that nanny of hers? Yeah, I've seen them. I went to Ms. Davis' room to update her chart, and there was that poor child crying her eyes out trying to wake up her mama."

"Oh, no."

"What is wrong with that nanny of yours? Why would she drag that poor baby up in there to see her mother in a coma? If it were up to me, I would fire her butt so fast, she wouldn't know what hit her."

Sam knew that Viola was trying to do the right thing. "No, Viola -- she's really, really good. She's just trying to help," Sam defended.

"Well, from what I could see, it didn't."

Sam's attention was diverted when she saw her little sister and Viola turn the corner. Sam quickly knelt down to be eye level with the girl that she quickly learned to love so much. "Hey. Hi, sweetheart. Are you okay?"

Kristina looked into her older sister's eyes and asked the question that she needed to know the answer to, "Is Mommy going to die?"

Sam let out a sigh and held on to her sister's tiny hands, "All right. We're going to have to get a few things straight here. First and foremost, Mommy is not going to die, okay? She's sleeping, but it's not the kind of sleep when you take a nap or when you go to bed at night. The doctors gave her medicine so she wouldn't wake up until she gets better. But the thing you and I can do for Mommy is let her get all the rest that she needs."

"But I miss her."

"I know you do, sweetheart. You're going to have to be a really big and patient and strong little girl. It's going to be really, really hard. It's hard for me, too, but you know what? We are really lucky because we have each other, right?"

Viola looked down at the the two sisters amazed at how well Sam comforted Kristina. "Kristina was also concerned her mom might be scared if she woke up and nobody was there."

"Could I stay with her?" Kristina asked.

Sam smiled at the little girl. "Wow. That is very, very brave and loving of you, but you know what? We promised Mommy that we would stick to our routines, so I think that we should keep our word, right? Mommy would want to know that you are being tucked into bed at night waiting for a sandman, and you know what? I think Sandman's going to come early tonight, I really do, so I think you should go home with Viola, get yourself tucked into bed and all snuggly, and don't you worry because I am going to stay here with Mommy, okay?"

"Promise?"

" I promise, cross my heart. Give me a hug. Hmm. Okay. Get home, okay? Go ahead."

End Flashback 

Alexis frantically searched her pockets for her cell phone, "Kristina, go get your father, now!" she yelled.

Kristina was still frozen. "Kristina, now!" By the time Kristina was broken out of her trance and realized that her mother told her to do something, Jerry and Molly were already in the house and headed for the kitchen.

"What is all the bloody yelling in here?" He asked as he stepped throught he swinging door. When he saw the looked of fear on Kristina's face, his body went straight to his wife and daughter on the floor. "What the hell happened?"

Alexis was near tears, "I don't know, she came in her ranting and raving about something Molly had said and then her face went pale...I made her sit down and then she just blacked out. I called 9-1-1, an ambulance is on the way."

Jerry quickly checked her breathing and pulse. "When was the last time that she ate something?"

Alexis looked at Kristina who just shrugged. "Tina and I have been taking her food...she had dinner with us..."

"Yes, but have you either of you seen her put anything in her mouth. Everytime I looked at her last night, she was just pushing her food around with her fork."

"The paramedics are here, I'll let them in..." Kristina hastely exited the room. She knew what was coming and she didn't want to hear the argument.

"Then Jerry, why didn't you say something to her?" Alexis accused.

"Because she's a grown woman who doesn't want to hear her father lecture her on her eating habits. Besides, how was I supposed to know that she hadn't eaten in days?"

Overhearing Jerry's comment, the paramedic gave Jerry a questioning look when he entered the kitchen.

"My daughter passed out. We believe that she hasn't eaten for a couple of days, it's been a rough couple of..."

The paramedic put his hand up to stop Jerry, "It's okay, sir, we'll take care of it from here."

"Thank you, we'll meet you at General Hospital."


	10. Chapter 10

It's a short chapter, but a powerful one. I ripped off the flashback again, I didn't want to but you'll understand why I did when you read it. Thank you to every one who reviews. I'm glad that you're enjoying the story. Thanks Lacorra for the heads up on the last chapter. I guess that's what I get for hating to proofread.

Enjoy - Jenn

Chapter 10

Sam woke to the sound of the heart monitor beeping in perfect rhythm with her pulse. The blood pressure cuff constricted her arm then slowly release it's pressure. As she closed and held her eyes closed until the burning feeling subsided, she put her hand up to her head. "Oh my god, my head hurts..."

"Well what do you expect? You haven't eaten in a week and you were severely dehydrated."

Sam opened one eye and spied her sister sitting in the chair across the room. She was sitting crookedly reading a magazine and had one leg draped over the arm of the chair. "Thanks, that just what I needed to wake up to, the Lansing attitude."

"Yeah...well... sitting in this hospital room isn't my idea of a picnic either."

Sam rolled her eyes at Molly's remark. "Where's Mom?" she asked instead of engaging in another argument.

"She and Dad went to get a cup of coffee then they were going to check on Nikolas."

"Oh...where's Tina?"

"She went to Kelly's with Spencer to get some food for everyone...and I'm here...on Sam sitting duty."

"I'm fine, you don't need to stick around. Go live your life."

"Believe it or not, I'm where I want to be." Molly moved her chair closer to Sam's bed. "And besides, Mom would have a fit if she came in here and found you alone. So, I guess you're stuck with me."

Sam looked down at her hands and began to pick at the dry skin around her nails.

"I'm sorry, Sammi." Molly finally said after a moment of silence.

Sam looked up to Molly. An apology was the last thing that she had expected from her little sister.

"For what?"

"For what?" Molly let out an exhausted sigh, "for everything, for yelling at you, for hating what has happened, for running away... I'm not going to make excuses...and you need to stop making excuses."

Sam kept her head down but lifted her eyes to her sister, "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Come on, I'm not stupid. I've been on the outside long enough to see that whatever is going on in your head has nothing to do with Spencer and Nikolas. So why don't you start being honest with yourself and tell me why you've called me back here."

Molly's voice was stern yet loving. When she got out of Port Charles, she never really saw herself coming back. She never wanted to come back, not permanently anyway. Sure she would visit her family, but when Sam called, she knew that it was something different. She dropped everything, to come home for a couple of weeks. And now was starting to understand why. Everyone else was too close. They couldn't see what was happening right in front of them. Sam wanted to reach out to someone and strangely enough Molly was the closest person. She had distanced herself enough to see what was right in front of their noses.

"It's happening again..." Sam finally said as the tears ran down her cheeks.

Molly quickly grabbed her sister's hand. "What Sam? What's happening again..."

"You don't remember, you were too young..." Sam was finally able to squeak out between sobs.

"Whatever it is, Sam, we'll deal with it. You, me, Tina, Momma, and Daddy...we'll get though it."

Sam lifted her head to look deep into Molly's eyes. "You don't remember the suffering and the pain. You were too young."

"What don't I remember..."

Sam wiped the tears from her face with her free hand, "They think that I have lung cancer."

Those two words hit Molly like a brick. Lung cancer. Sam was right, she didn't remember. She was only 2 years old when their mother was diagnosed with stage 2 lung cancer. She didn't remember the chemotherapy, or the nights that her mother had spent vomiting. She did remember stories about how Alexis had wanted Sam to take care of her and Kristina is something unfortunate happened. But now it was all becoming too real. Now something that was in the past was coming back to life. Rearing it's ugly head so to speak.

"Does Mom know?" Molly finally asked trying to stay calm. Sam's only response was to shake her head. "It all makes sense now. You have to tell Mom and Dad."

"No," Sam had said louder than she expected. "No...I can't tell them yet."

"What? Why not? They need to know, we need to get your treatments started."

"No, Molly. You don't remember. It was horrible for Mom. I can't go through that. I just need to bow out gracefully."

"Bow our gracefully? What the HELL are you talking about? This isn't a race for the presidency and you've decided that you're not going to win the election. This is your life, Sam!"

"I can't do it, Molly, I just can't do it."

"So, are you saying that you are going to do nothing and just let the cancer take you?

"I don't want to go through what Mom had to go through..."

"Oh, so you don't want to live..."

"No, that's not what I'm saying...nevermind... you don't understand."

"You're right, I don't understand. I don't understand why you don't want to fight for your life. A fight that you know that you can win. And don't tell me that this is not beatable, because you know damn well that it is and Mom is living proof. This is why you broke up with Lucky isn't it. You wanted to push him away. You're pushing everyone away."

"Who's pushing everyone away?" Kristina asked as walked in the room with her hand full of food from Kelly's. "Grandpa sent his famous chocolate chip cookies."

"Forget the cookies, Tina." Molly said, "Sam has something that she needs to tell you."

"Molly, no..."

By this time Molly was screaming at her older sister as tears freely fell off of her face. "No Sam, you tell her."

"Tell me what? Molly what's going on?"

"Tell her Sam..." Molly's voice was now calm and rational. "So help me god, if you don't tell Kristina and Mom the truth, I will."

_Flashback: Copyright ABC Television Group 2006  
_

_Sam remembered the awful day that Alexis broke the news of her lung cancer. "I really wanted to be a good mother for you. I wanted to do what was best. But unfortunately, I can't only consider you anymore. I need to consider Kristina and Molly and what's best for them."_

"_Okay. That -- that's fine. Molly, she won't even remember me, and Kristina, she's young enough to be resilient. Besides, Alexis, they have you -- their perfect mother, so it doesn't -- "_

"_Well, unfortunately, their perfect mother has cancer." _

"_What did you just say?" _

"_I have stage-two lung cancer and I may die."_

"_Cancer? You're sure? No, no. I'm -- they -- they make mistakes like this all the time." _

"_Hmm. That's funny because that's exactly what I thought, but unfortunately, this one's true."_

"_Lung cancer?" _

"_It's stage-two adenocarcinoma. It's a non-small-cell-type lung cancer. It's the most common lung cancer in women, not that that helps any."_

"_They can do something, right? I mean -- chemotherapy or something." _

"_They want to operate. It's called a lobectomy and then they follow that up with chemo. In any case, I won't be borrowing any of your midriff tops because the scar is -- is apparently very nasty. "_

"_Well, that's good -- I mean, the operation is good if -- if it's your only chance to get rid of this, right?" _

"_Well, they say I stand a chance."_

"_Lung cancer. You don't even smoke." _

"_You don't have to. It could be secondhand, it could be environmental. Nobody really knows." _

"_It started with my coughing and I couldn't stop."_

"_Right, but I thought you said that you thought that was because of the allergies." _

"_Well, that's what the doctors thought and then they thought it was a bronchial infection and then it didn't respond to antibiotics, so they did a chest x-ray and they found a spot on my lung." _

"_And when was that?"_

"_It was about two weeks ago. I didn't tell anyone because I was hoping that it might be a mistake. Unfortunately, it wasn't and I don't have a lot of time to deal with this, you know, because I have a family and I have a job." _

"_So what now?" _

"_So they operate. They take out a piece of my lung and then they follow it up with chemotherapy, which is going to take a lot out of me." _

"_Okay. I mean, if it's -- if it's your best chance, the operation, I -- I think that's good. You have to do it." _

"_Of course. But I'm worried about Kristina and Molly, and as grateful as I am for Viola, they need more than a nanny."_

"_Are you asking me to stay?"_

_End Flashback:_

Sam didn't want to speak the words anymore. It was arbitrary but still if she didn't say then maybe should could convince herself that it wasn't true. So instead of coming clean with Kristina, she decided to roll over in her hospital bed and pull her covers up to her chin.

Kristina look over to Molly. It was obvious that Sam was going to push this secret deeper down and attempt to keep it away from the world. "Molly, please, just tell me what is going on."

Molly glanced over to Sam one last time. "Tina...Sam's doctors think that she may have lung cancer."

The bags of food fell straight from Kristina's hands to the floor. Kristina couldn't move. But it was the "oh my god," that came from the doorway that got Sam's and Molly's attention.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

"What the hell was that?" Molly was doing anything but keeping her voice down as she and Kristina exited Sam's hospital room "...how dare she ask us to leave...we need to be in there too!"

Kristina linked her arm with Molly's in an attempt to lead her down the hallway "she needs to talk to him, Mol."

Molly pulled her arm from Kristina and stopped in the hallway. "Why aren't you more upset about this?"

"Not upset about what? About the fact that she asked us to leave? Or the fact that our sister may have cancer and our cousin is in a coma? I'm pissed over all of it, but standing here in the middle of a hospital screaming about it isn't going to solve anything." She grabbed Molly's arm once again and began walking toward the nurses station.

"I don't understand why she didn't want to tell us...why didn't she come to us for help instead of keeping it bottled up inside?"

"I don't know, Molly, I wish I had an answer for that question." The girls approached the desk, "Hey, Elizabeth, have you seen my Mom?"

"No, I haven't" Elizabeth answered but motioned to the elevator behind that had just opened. Kristina noticed the gesture and turned. She rolled her eyes wondering how she was going to stop the confrontation.

"Molly, is that you?" He asked as he stepped off. This was the last person that they needed see. Molly rolled her eyes and sighed heavily to the sound of his voice. Shit.

"Yeah, tis I, the unfortunate fruit of your loins. What do you want?" She finally turned around to face her biological father.

Ric put his eyebrows together at her comment, "You're not dating that Spinelli kid, are you?"

"Huh?"

"No, nothing. Nevermind. I didn't know that you were back in town, why didn't you call me? We could have had dinner or something."

Molly closed her eyes for a minute, "Could have had dinner? Let me ask you this, when was the last time that I let you know anything about what was going on in my life?"

He couldn't deny the hostility that Molly held for him no matter how hard he tried. So he chose to go with a different approach. "Hey Kristina, how are you?"

"Hi Ric, I'm fine, thank you." She answered.

He smiled to her, "Always so polite."

"Yeah, why can't I take after her, right?" Molly dug her heels in again.

"I didn't say that." He defended, he shook his head at how much she was like Alexis.

"You didn't have to...So what are you doing here?" Molly cut to the chase. She knew that Ric always had an agenda and she wasn't in the mood for his cat and mouse games.

"I just got back in town myself and I heard about Nikolas' accident."

"Oh give me a break, you don't care about Nik or this family. You've never been anything more than a sperm donor. You just want to know how you can use this situation to your benefit. Always trying to figure out what is in it for you."

Ric tried the hide the hurt in his eyes, but it stung like a bee. "Oh, I see that you've been talking to your sister, again."

"Leave my sisters out of this." This was not the time for him to instigate an argument, but he had a way of stirring up a bees nest with Molly.

"She poisoned your mind, Molly. She's turned you against me."

"Oh and you had nothing to do with that..."

Kristina saw the anger and hurt building up in Molly's eyes, "Molly..." She stepped between Molly and Ric slightly pushing her backwards causing Molly to look into her eyes. Kristina gave her a stern look and raised her eyebrows "Not here, Molly, Alright? Just...leave it alone."

Molly nodded and Kristina turned to Ric, "Ric, now is not a good time. Go away...Take your vindictive remarks to your brother and go have a pow wow with him about how you two are so godly and blame Mom and Sam for all your short comings as fathers."

"Girls," Jerry had interrupted, he had been watching them from the other side of the nurses station. He was amazed at how well both of them had handle Ric. Although he had only arrived near the end of the debacle, his girls made him very proud by the way that they handled themselves and Ric. But he could tell that Ric was about to turn ugly and it was time for him to step in. "You mother is in Nikolas' room, could you please go get her, we need to talk."

Molly turned to Ric and gave him a crooked smile, "Sure Daddy," she said with a slight raise of her eyebrows giving a slight twist to the knife that she just pushed into Ric's back.

Flashback:

"Suspended! Suspended!" Molly sat in the passenger seat of the car just listening to Ric's Rant.

"No matter how many times you say it, it isn't going to go away!" She muttered in defiant teenage tone.

"How do you expect to get into a good college with suspension for fighting on your record?" He asked as he looked over to see her slouched against the door holding her head up with her hand.

She rolled her eyes, "I'm going to buy my way in just like every other Lansing and Cassidine." He could have went off on her for that comment but he decided it was best to let it slide.

"What do you think your mother is going to say about this?"

"Ah...Way to go Molly, I'm proud of you!" She remarked with a smile.

"I said your mother, not Sam."

"That is what Mom would say, especially since the reason I was fighting was because I was standing up for someone who could do it on their own. I speak my mind and I stand up for what I believe in. Which isn't so bad of a trait, maybe you should try it sometime. And quit picking on Sam. We all know that you can't stand her and I believe the feeling is mutual."

"I'm not picking on Sam, I just wish that you would pick a more positive role model, than your con artist sister."

"You call it being a con artist, I call it being a surviver." Ric shot a glare at Molly. It never failed, she always saw the positive side in everyone. Everyone but him. She just wouldn't let him catch a break.

"You know, I really do know what all this is about," she continued. "You're ticked because Mom is happy."

"I'm not ticked that your Mom is happy, Molly."

"Yes you are, you've been ticked since the day that she married Dad."

That did it, "He is not your father, I am."

"Then why have you never acted like you're my father. How many birthdays have you forgotten. Remember my 10th birthday, Dad? Huh, you remember standing me up, because you were too busy following Uncle Sonny around? How about Christmas the next year...do you remember promising me that you were going to take me skiing over winter break? I'm still waiting for that trip. All my life you have lifted me up and let me fall. You have never been a father to me. And I am sick and tired of you blaming Mom and Sam for turning me against you. You managed to do that one all by yourself. My opinion of you is based solely on disappointments that you have set up for me."

That was a slap across the face if he ever had one. He had no words. He couldn't deny her accusations, they were true. He followed the same pattern with Molly has he followed with Alexis. Always putting Sonny first in that undying need to be important to his brother. And it cost him everything that ever had or ever wanted.

They finished the car ride to the lakehouse in silence. It's not that he didn't want to say something to her, he just didn't know what to say. She laid on it the line to him and he got the message loud and clear. When he pulled into the drive way, she didn't even give him time to put the car in park before jumping out of the car and running into the house. He slowly followed, carrying her backpack that she left in the car.

"Mom," he heard her yell from inside the house, "don't ever let him near me again."

As he approached the house, he overheard the conversation that quickly started. "Molly, calm down and tell me what happened," Alexis said.

"He's a jerk that's what happened and I'm not giving him any more chances." Alexis turned when she heard him clear is voice.

"Stay away from me." Molly yelled to him.

"Molly, go to your room, please. Let me talk to Ric." Her mother didn't have to ask her a second time. She gladly exited the room. But she didn't go to her bedroom. She stood just far enough out of sight to hear what was happening.

Alexis turned back to Ric, "What happened?"

"She got suspended from school, five days out."

Alexis closed her eyes and let out a heavy sigh, "what did she do this time?"

"Fighting...I guess there was handicapped boy in the hallway who was being bullied by a couple of boys, she stepped in and threw her books at them, and told them that if they touched him, they were going to have to fight her. I guess the principal stepped in and turned them all into a no tolerance lesson for the school."

"God that girl is so much like her sister."

"Yeah, I more or less said the same thing."

"If I know you Ric, you said more not less." Ric just rolled his eyes, "Yeah, that's what I thought."

"She has made her feelings for me painfully obvious, so I think it's time that I take Sonny's lead and step out of the picture."

"Ric, I'm not going to interfere with your relationship with Molly, she's sixteen years old. She's old enough to determine on her own the kind of relationship that she want to have with you."

Ric closed his eyes and shook his head, "well, I think that is a decision that she made a long time ago. Take care of my girl, Alexis."


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

He stood in the doorway holding a bouquet of flowers, shock sprawled across his face. He heard her talking, her lips were moving but he couldn't hear anything. Kristina crossed in front of pulling Molly out of the room. Kristina stopped in front of him and ran her hand down the side of his arm. "Talk to her..." was all that she said.

He unconsciously nodded, keeping his eyes locked on Sam. "Are you just gonna stand there?"

"H-how do you feel?"

Sam rolled her eyes, "Great lead in, Spencer..."

Lucky looked around the room. "Ah...sorry..."

"What are you doing here?"

He nervously shifted, "I ran...?" he sighed, "I ran into your mother...in Nikolas' room. She said that you collapsed."

"Yeah..."

"Well I'm guessing that your mom doesn't know? About the cancer, I mean."

Sam looked down at her hands and began to pick at the skin around her fingernails, "No, well, at least she didn't. But my two big mouth sisters did just leave the room. Who knows where they went. Of course, she hasn't come barreling through the door yet, so it's pretty safe to assume that she still doesn't know."

"You need to tell her."

"Oh so you're going to give me a lecture on what I should tell my mother? She doesn't need to deal with this. I've put my mother through enough hardships."

"So instead you're going to shut everyone who loves you out?" It wasn't a question.

He moved over to her bedside and place the flowers on the night stand. "When are you going to get it, huh? You're not alone anymore. You have a family that wants to help you and be there for you. Why won't you let them?"

"I can handle this on my own," she argued.

"Yeah, because you've done a wonderful job so far. You collapsed in your mother's house and ended up in the hospital. How long have you been putting off treatments?"

"They haven't decided on a course of action yet."

His brain was on overload. How could this be happening. He nervously paced the room, finally stopping to stare out the window to the city below. He had to be dreaming. This wasn't real.

"Is this..." He looked away trying to hold back a tear, "Is this why you pushed me away?" Without a word, she answered his question. She couldn't look him in the eye.

"You have a life, you don't need me to drag you down."

"Why didn't you say something?" he asked.

"What was I supposed to say? I love you, oh by the way I have cancer?"

"That would have been a start."

"It's easier this way..."

"Why, because you can stay in your own little world and hide?"

Sam shot him a glare, "No..."

"Then what, Sam?" he shouted.

"So that you can get on with your life. There, are you happy? I pushed you away so that you can start a life outside of the is disgusting disease that I have to deal with."

"That you have to deal with? You don't have to fight this battle by yourself."

Sam pushed herself down into the bed. She tried to hold back the tears, but they were too powerful. "I can't do this anymore!" she sobbed.

He quickly moved next to her and pulled her into his arms. She pounded on his chest as she continued to sob. "I don't want this...why is this happening to me."

Lucky held her tight. "Shhh..." he rocked her back her forth and stroked her hair. "We're going to get through this...all of us."

"I'm sorry for everything I did...I'm so sorry...I didn't mean for it to happen." she screamed.

The more she pounded and pushed the tighter he held her. Slowly the violent sobs turned to gentle cries as exhaustion took over. He laid her back onto her pillow and reached up to push her hair away from her eyes. "We're going to beat this, Sam" he whispered to himself. "I promise you that."

He lovingly rubbed the back of her hand as a tear escaped his eye, "Please tell me I'm dreaming...please god, just tell me that things aren't what they seem."

He looked over to the door as the shadow caught his eye. He closed his eyes and nodded a fatigued hello to the figure that was standing at the door peering through the window.

Jerry heard it all. They anger and sadness that caused them both to raise their voice. He was ready to burst through the door and throw Lucky out of Sam's room. But Lucky is who she needed. Lucky was the person that she needed to confide in at that point in time. And Jerry was grateful that Lucky was there. The man that she loves, no matter what.

Jerry nodded in response to Lucky then stepped away from the door, they needed this time together.

_Flashback_

"Daddy, what's an October Feast?" Cameron asked in his 4 year old innocence.

Lucky laughed but not at the question that Cameron asked. He laughed at the fact that Cam didn't wait around for the answer. He took off running toward the railing of the overlook, quickly followed by Sam, who picked him up for a better look at the gorge down below.

"Wow, that's a long way down."

"It sure is, little man. I don't know about you but I wouldn't want to fall down that hill." Lucky chimed in as the approached with Jake in his arms.

"How did that george get here?"

Lucky and Sam gave each other the same look. A looked that seemed to ask 'how do you explain erosion that is a direct result of the Ice Age to a 4 year old.' Thankfully, before they could come up with an answer, Cameron's attention span pulled him to something else.

"Hey, Daddy...look over there...come on, Sam." Both adults followed Cameron to a pavilion that was set up just off of the hiking trail. Squeezing his way between the myriad of adults, he made his way to the front of the pavilion. In front of him was bench that was covered with boxes of apples. After inspecting each box the looked at the contraption that set up next to the bench. He watch the state park worker with such intent as she made this neat contraption work.

"Hey daddy, look...It's a apple eating machine..."

"A what?"

"A apple eating machine, look...she puts the apples in the top and turns the handle, and watch the bottom Daddy...see? See? The apple comes out already chewed up. Isn't that neat?" The young boy now had the attention of everyone in the pavilion, his excitement was infectious.

"Oh, Cam..." Sam began to explain, "She is making apple cider.?"

Cam's eyes got big as he looked to the worker, "Can I make some?"

"Sure" the worker said and she tossed a couple apples into the top of the machine. "Here, grab this handle, and crank it."

It was difficult for the boy at first, but as soon as he caught on to the process, he had a full crate of chopped apples in a matter of minutes. "Wow, Cam, you're a quick learner," the worked said as moved the chopped apples to the press. "Hey Cam, do you think your daddy can help too?"

Cameron nodded and pushed Lucky toward the machine. Lucky understood his job and began to wind the crank on the press. Cameron jumped with excitement when he saw the juice empty from the bottom of the press.

"Look daddy, we did it, we made apple snyder!"


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Molly sat in the waiting area flipping through the latest tabloid that someone had left on the chair next to hers. One page after another was filled with pictures of celebrities most of which she had never heard of. Being a hotshot lawyer from Manhattan left little time to follow celebrity gossip. She barely had time to call her mother once every month.

That last thought sent her over the edge, if there was one thing that her mother always preached to her it was the importance of family. She slapped the magazine closed and tossed it onto the table in front of her. Burying her face in her hands, she tried to hold back the tears that were stinging her eyes. "Hey..." she heard from behind. "Where's Tina?" Ty asked as he looked around for anyone.

Molly lifted her head but refused to turn around until she was sure the tears were gone. "She's..ah..." she turned away further and wiped her cheek, "she's...ah...downstairs with my Mom...and Nikolas"

"Oh," he said as he sat down on the table so that he would be directly in front of her. He knew her mannerisms, he knew what he had to do to get her to talk. "I brought you a cup of coffee and I'll give it to you if you promise to talk to me.."

"Thanks, Ty..." she reached for the coffee but he pulled it away. Normally this would be their normal kidding around, but it alarmed him when she slinked back into the chair overcome by fear and worry.

"Okay, I'll give you my two cents and the coffee..." he said as he offered her the cup.

Molly looked up to see the sincerity in his eyes. She tried not to let her worry show but the half of smile that she flashed him only made him more concerned.

"I'm sorry, Ty..." She stood and moved to the window. Evening had settled and the city below was shining brightly amid the darkened sky.

"Sorry, for what?"

"I..." she let out a sigh "I can't marry you."

At first the words hit him hard. He knew that he had caught her off guard when he asked, he figured it was the reason for her abrupt vacation back to Port Charles, until they arrived, that is.

"Molly...I..."

Molly finally turned to look at him, she needed to see his face, his reaction. "I can't stay in Manhattan, Ty. I need to move back to Port Charles."

"Oookay..." he couldn't hide nor did he want to hide his confusion. "So what does that have to do with us getting married."

"Come on, Ty...I know how important your career is to you." She turned away again. She knew she as feeding him a line..

"My career? Mol, you can't be serious. I'm an out of work actor working as a freelance computer programmer to make ends meet. I'm sure that I can pick up job around here." He wrapped his arms around her from behind, "my career has never taken precedence over you. So, worry number 1 is off the table. What's worry number two? Your cousin?"

Molly simply nodded. Nikolas was a big worry for her. He was always more like a big brother rather than a cousin.

"Is he doing any better?" Ty asked.

"He's in a coma, but he's holding his own"

"That's good right?"

Molly nodded, "the doctors said that the first 72 hours was going to be critical. That if he survived that he chances would increase drastically."

"Well, see there...he's made it through the 72 hours. This is good, Molly. Worry number 2 off the table...for now...we still have some worrying left on the Nikolas front, but it's a little better now." Ty was trying so hard to get Molly to crack a smile. Usually, his eternal optimism would get her going, "how can you smile about everything" she would say. But not this time. Something else was happening.

"Okay, Molly, that only leaves worry number 3, your sister. Now when I came in, I happened to see one of her doctors and she said that Sam would be able to come home in a couple of hours. So it sounds to me like worry number 3 is off the table." He said as he waved his hand in a wiping motion.

Molly broke away from his embraced and ran her fingers through her long hair. "Worry number 3 is not off the table."

"What? Why not? The doctors said that she was going to be fine. A little more food and water and a little less guilt...all is good."

"No, all is not good, Ty. 'All' is far from good. I never should have left, I should have kept in better contact with my mom and my sisters. I should have been here for Spencer, I should have..."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, Molly. Come on, you can't think like that."

"No, it's true. I shouldn't have left. If I would have been here I could've..."

"You couldn't have what?"

"I could have been here for support."

"Molly, you can't control everything that happens in the life of everyone that you love. No matter how hard you try. So, you're here now."

"Yeah, but now might be too late."

"Too late for what? What is going on, Molly?"  
Molly was trying to hold back the tears, "I...I can't...."

Ty pulled her into his strong arms and held her tight as a single tear escaped her eye. "You can't what? Just tell me...whatever it is...just tell me. I want to help you, I want to be here for you, but you need to tell me what the hell is going on."

"My sister has cancer?" Molly blurted out for the second time in one day.

"What...ahem...what did you just say?" The voice didn't belong to Ty, sh--.

Molly pulled away from Ty and turned around to see Kristina and Alexis. She closed her eyes and hung her head. Great...

"Mom..." was all she could get out. Alexis held up her hand as she walked away from them.

"Mom...wait..." Molly tried to follow but was stopped when Kristina grabbed her arm.  
"Let her go, Mol."

"What? No.. Mom...No, Tina are you kidding me?"

Kristina grab Molly's shoulders forcing her sister to look at her, "Molly, for the second time today, you ran you mouth like an idiot about Sam's medical status, this time in front of Mom. Now she has to deal with it. Let her go."

"Let me go, Tina." Molly pulled herself free from Kristina's grasp. "I need to talk to Mom, I need to fix this."

"You can't fix it, Molly. You've got to let it play out between Momma and Sam," Molly heard the words but she just waved Kristina off. "Molly..." Kristina yelled when Molly continued to follow Alexis. "MOLLY...Great."

_Flashback_

"Molly?" Kristina opened one sleepy eye to seeing a shadow curled up in a ball on her bed. She was sitting against the headboard with her knees pulled up to her chest; she rested her chin on her knees.

"It's about time you wake up? Geez, I've bee sitting her for an hour..."

"I hardly think that you've been sitting there for an hour," Kristina chastised as she quietly rolled out of bed. "You don't have that kind of patience." Kristina quietly moved around the side of the bed and turned on the lamp. It was 4:30 in the morning, and even though she had laid her sweats on the chair, she still needed to see to put them on.

As soon as she found the clothes, Molly reached over to turn the light off again, "Come on, Tina, you're gonna wake Mom."

"Mom sleeps like a rock, and besides, I wouldn't mind getting caught, that means I don't have to go along with your harebrained scheme."

Molly got up and threw her backpack over her shoulders, "you didn't think it was such a harebrained scheme when you agreed to it."

"Why couldn't we just use the door?" Kristina complained as the both crawled out of the window.

"Oh, just come on," Molly pulled Kristin from the window edge and they quietly walked down to the driveway.

Molly stopped and pulled two medium boxes from her backpack. "crap...hide" she yelled when she saw headlights turn into the driveway, "who the hell is that?"

Molly and Kristina ducked behind their mother's car waiting for the driver of the car to turn around and leave. No such luck. "Alright you two, what are you up to?" Sam asked as stepped out of her car.

Molly stood up from behind the car, "What are we up to? I think we should be asking you the same thing, it's 4:30 why are you just coming home?"

"Oh you're good," Sam laughed, "Changing the subject on to me...classic. But Lucky and I went out dancing tonight. And you know what?...I don't want to know what you two are doing...I stay out of trouble that way. Just don't get arrested, because I'm going to bed and I don' t want to get up to bail your butts out."

"Thanks, sis." Molly yelled back as Sam walked toward her house.

* * * *

"Come on, get up girls!" Alexis yelled as she peeked her head into Kristina's room. "How did you two end up in the same bed last night?"

"Huh?" Kristina moaned as she rolled over

"Your sister?" Alexis pointed "how did she end up in here?"

Molly peeked her head out from underneath the covers, "we watched a movie last night and I fell asleep?"

"Oh," Alexis said as she moved toward the window to open the blinds. "What in the h...what is that?" she asked as she looked out toward the driveway. Molly and Kristina just held in the giggles until she was out of the room then hurried to the window.

"Did you do this?" They heard Alexis ask and turned to see Sam walking across the lawn. Sam wore a huge smile. She didn't even attempt to hold in the laugh.

"No,"

"Samantha, this is not funny."

Sam stifled her laugh but not the smile, "oh yes it is....I am not responsible." Sam didn't bother to stop next to her mother who was standing in the driveway staring at the car with gaping eyes, she continued to walk toward the house as she let the comment slip, "just look at it this way, if you and Jerry want to practice safe sex, you're all ready."


	14. Chapter 14

AN - I know that I haven't updated in a while. Sorry about that, life happened. It has a funny way of doing that lately. Anyway...new stuff starts with chapter 12. I'm not a doctor and I don't claim to be so all medical stuff is made up and if any happens to actually be right...pure luck. Oh...and the flash back in this chapter is Copyright of ABC Daytime and the Disney Corporation, no infringement intended, not that you guys care but someone at Disney might. Happy reading, let me know what you think. -Jenn

They sat there waiting; the entire family; Kristina, Molly, Ty, Jerry, and Alexis. They sat in the waiting area for what seemed like hours; watching the people go by. Family members coming to visit patients, doctors getting on and off the elevators, and nurses manning the desks. Dr. Patrick Drake had been unaware of any cancer diagnosis for Sam. When Alexis began to question him on Sam's treatment, he seemed to be just as shocked as the rest of the family.

**Serveral Hours Earlier**

Alexis was ready to burst into Sam's room and demand answers from her daughter. "What in the hell was she thinking?" She said aloud more to herself not realizing that Patrick and Molly were right behind her.

"Alexis?" She stopped and spun around to face the doctor behind her.

"What," she snapped.

"I was hoping to speak with you for a moment."

"Is this about my daughter's cancer treatments?"

Patrick looked confused, "It is about Sam...umm...I'm sorry...did you say cancer?"

Alexis looked to Molly and now Kristina, who had just joined the group. "Yes, Patrick. She has been diagnosed with cancer. Lung cancer. No doubt hereditary."

Patrick opened the chart that he held in his hands. "I'm sorry Alexis, but there is no mention of lung cancer or treatment for any kind of cancer on Sam's chart..."

"That's impossible..." Molly chimed in.

"No...no it's not. Not knowing your sister like I do." Alexis said in disgust as she rolled her eyes and shook her head. She knew Sam. She knew that Sam was aware of the symptoms and also knew enough to go to a different hospital and doctor if she was going to keep something like this quite for as long as possible.

"Mom, she told me and Kristina. Why wouldn't she tell the doctor?"

"Because she's stubborn...and stupid. She wants to do this her own way." Alexis looked toward Sam's room noticing, through the door window, that she was awake. "What the hell is the matter with you?" Alexis yelled as she entered Sam's room leaving the others in the hallway.

Sam slunked down in her bed, "So you've talked to Molly and Tina..." she said trying to avoid eye contact. "That should be a record for them...It took three whole hours."

"Cut the crap, Samantha. Why is Dr. Drake not aware of this? How come nothing is in your chart regarding diagnosis or treatment?"

"Because I'm handling this my way."

"Which is no way. Is that right? Ignore it and it will go away."

"I'm not that naive or that stupid. Ignoring it is far from my mind. But I don't want the chemo. I saw what it did to you and I don't want to go through that."

That's not an answer, and you know it. It's a coup out."

_Flashback:_

"I've been researching some interesting data on naturopathic cures and it says that detox cleansing and natural supplements are a lot easier on the system and there's a doctor of medicine in -- Chinese medicine actually that has some impressive --"

Confusion spread across Sam's face, "Why -- why are we having this conversation?"

"Because I've decided against doing the chemo."

"Your cancer is spreading."

"My cancer has affected two of my lymph nodes but it hasn't metastasized, and I know that Dr. Trent wants me to do the chemo, but I'm choosing to go an alternative route."

"Why don't you choose to try the traditional methods first?" Sam asked as she rose from the chair and aproached Alexis' bedside.

"I'm not talking about voodoo here, Sam. I'm -- I'm talking about actual viable alternatives that thousands of people --"

"Really? I heard the doctors, and chemo could save your life."

"Or the chemo could make me very weak and compromise my immune system so that if I get pneumonia again, the pneumonia will kill me."

"Cancer could kill you." Sam stated in a raised voice.

"The surgery was performed. The cancer is gone, so for all intents and purposes, I'm clear."

"You don't know that. How do you know that there are not some cells roaming around inside of you? They said it would take at least six months to kill them off."

"I know my body and I know that I can't handle the chemo right now, I can't. So whether I have a month or I have a year, I am not going to be put in a state of limbo like I was this week."

"Why does it feel like you're giving up?"

"I'm not giving up. I'm just choosing not to do the chemo and try something else. I may live; I may die, but I'm going to be participating in my own life when I do it, so all I need right now, all I'm asking for right now, is for your support -- you and Ric, I need your support."

End Flashback

"That's not fair. This is a completely different situation." Sam tried to argue.

"It's only different in one way. You were fighting to keep a mother that day and I'm fighting to keep a daughter." Alexis returned to the nurses station not allowing another word from Sam. "I want all of the necessary tests done to confirm this diagnosis." She demanded.

"Already in the process. Once the slightest bit of chance was brought to my attention I ordered them. I cannot release her, in good conscience knowing that there is a possibility because if that is the case and something unforseeable happens..." Patrick smiled, "I know who you're sueing first."

"Damn straight."

"I'll let you know when we have the results. However, due to patient confidentiality, it's up to her whether or not we can share the informaiton with you."

Alexis nodded, "I'll take care of that, you just run the tests."

**Present time**

"Watch the way she walks...she's a player." Molly said indicating a woman who had just exited the elevator.

"A what?" Tina questioned.

"A player, she likes to take risks. You know, see how far she can go without actually getting caught."

Tina watched the woman for a few minutes, "how do you figure that?"

Molly was giving Tina and Ty their first lesson in people watching, teaching them to take note of a persons mannerisms to determine their personality. It was an entertaining way to pass the time. "It's easy...look at how she holds her head when she walks."

"Okay," Tina observed. "She holds her head up, so?"

"So...that show confidence. She's not married."

"huh?"

"There's no ring," Molly pointed out, "a marriage/husband would hold her back." Molly explained. At this point, Ty and Tina couldn't help but to stare at this poor unsuspecting woman.

"She has a small bag," Jerry interjected. "She only carries what she needs. Get in; get out." Molly looked over to Jerry. "I see your sister has taught you a thing or two."

She smiled, "it comes in handy in court."

"Jerry, quit encouraging them." Alexis scolded.

"What? We're just passing time by watching the people move about, darling."

"Well, don't." Jerry laughed and turned back to the kids.

"How long is this going to take. It's been four hours." Alexis complained as she looked up to see Robin and Patrick approaching.

"Mr. and Mrs. Jacks..." Jerry and Alexis both stood. "The surgery went well. We removed the infected piece of her lung and have sent it to the lab. She will be in recovery for about two hours then we'll move her back to her room.

"Excuse me, Patrick, but you used the term infected, not compromised cells." Molly added; more as a statement and not a question.

"It's interesting that you picked up on that. I need to wait for the lab results to be sure, however, I think that we may be dealing with something other than cancer. Unfortunatley I cannot elaborate any more. I've already said too much."

Alexis turned to Jerry and the kids, "Something other than cancer? What could he be talking about?"

"I don't know, darling. But we'll know soon enough." Jerry answered as the group sat back down to wait for Sam to be moved to recovery.


End file.
